


Christmas in the pueblo

by CMA6725



Series: Of Men and Legends [5]
Category: Zorro (TV 1990), Zorro - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Humor, Identity Reveal, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29632875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMA6725/pseuds/CMA6725
Summary: The NWZ characters go through a very interesting Christmas
Relationships: Victoria Escalante/Diego de la Vega
Series: Of Men and Legends [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177262
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

It was Christmas Eve 1820, three months after the actions of one Gilberto Risendo/ de la Vega had caused certain Los Angelinos to take a good look at their lives and then ignore any change they should have made, as soon as the threat he posed had ended. Even the De la Vegas made their best efforts to put the incident behind them and only rarely kept thinking about the man who was supposed to be a son a brother and an uncle to them.

Ignacio de Soto had spent most of the day brooding in his office, cursing Zorro in his mind for his continued interference with his plans of returning home, to Spain. He should have left years earlier, six months after his arrival, at the most. Yet there he still was, wasting his life in that outpost called Los Angeles, which was too small, too far away, too different from his beloved Madrid, too filled with supporters of the outlaw calling himself The Fox.

Zorro! The man who insisted on meddling with every good plan Ignacio took days, even weeks, to concoct. The worst thing about that situation? He didn't even know his foe's true name. Of course, if he would have known it, the bandit would no longer be alive to defy him.

Every alcalde knows exactly who he is chasing. De Soto considered. The Brothers Ramirez took a long time and a Presidio Commander sent from Spain to get captured, but they were caught! After about five years, true… But there were more of them and only one Zorro; and he's been plaguing the territory for eight years already! Just because of that mask and his obsession to keep his identity a secret! For all I know of Zorro, I might go into the tavern and stare straight at him without even realizing I was doing it! He considered. "No… I doubt he dares to show his face around town! Everyone here would recognize his voice, if not his face!" He uttered, just for himself, then remembered that he had forgotten to eat his lunch, so he decided to head to the tavern, hoping Mendoza hadn't finished all the food Victoria Escalante had prepared.

He was in luck. There was still carne asada left – which was his favorite dish at the tavern – and, thanks to the rather annoying presence of Don Diego and Don Alejandro in the tavern, he was given both the possibility to have a bit of fun insulting the younger man, and change their guest lists for the following day's De la Vega Christmas lunch when Don Alejandro had the audacity of inviting him. Of course, Ignacio made sure neither him nor Mendoza were expected to make an appearance. After all, they were needed in the pueblo because Zorro was certain to stop by, just to spite him. And, since Mendoza was stupid enough to accept the lunch invitation, he would be reminded of his duties by getting to patrol the south territory from dawn till dusk on Christmas, which was, without a doubt, a much better way to spend the holidays in De Soto's view.

ZZZ

"What an absurd man!" Don Alejandro complained a little later to Victoria and Diego. "To forbid poor Mendoza to enjoy Christmas with friends, despite knowing that he never had a family! And for what? Not even he believes that story about bandits south of the pueblo! I, for one, haven't heard of anything of the sort!"

"Yes… I am afraid, Father, that your invitation for De Soto just resulted in the cancellation of Mendoza's." Diego pointed out, his right hand on his chin, thinking of ways in which to help the Sergeant.

"That was not my intention, Diego! I...I felt that...since the man did save your life, it was the least I could do..." Don Alejandro mentioned and his son smiled kindly at him.

"I know, Father. Unfortunately, our esteemed Alcalde does not seem to share your logic." He replied.

"Well… He's usually in a rotten mood during the holidays, but I just thought he might really be changing. Even you must admit he's not been on his normal bad behavior lately, Son!" His father remarked.

"There's a difference between wishful thinking and reality, Father!" Diego noted. "But why don't you tell me if Felipe is feeling better. I was hoping he would accompany us to the party tonight."

"I'm afraid not." Don Alejandro replied. "He seems a little worse to me, to tell you the truth!"

"And you left him home alone?" Diego questioned as he was preparing to return to the hacienda.

"Oh, don't fret, Diego! It's just a cold. He's perfectly able to move around and get whatever he wants for himself. That is, if he decides to do something else than sleep. Really, Diego, since you've adopted him, he's becoming more and more like you, and you've become like a new mother, constantly preoccupied for the well-being of your son! You really need to let loose a little, or you'll age prematurely due to worry!"

"That might be the case, Father, but I would still rather go check on him." Diego replied. "I will see you later! Victoria! Father!" He saluted and headed for the hacienda.

ZZZ

Felipe had a rather bad cold. Nothing to really worry about, as Don Alejandro clearly pointed out. However, given the bond between Diego and his adopted son, as well as all the times the younger man had taken care of him, even risking his own life on occasion, the new father could hardly avoid being a little overprotective.

So, after having made sure that Victoria was all set for the evening, and after that awkward conversation with his former schoolmate-turned-adversary, Diego mounted Esperanza and headed home. There, he stabled the horse and headed for his son's quarters.

"Felipe!" Diego called at entering his bedroom, seeing that the younger man was comfortably prompted up in bed, doing some reading. "How are you doing?"

The younger De la Vega shrugged his shoulders and just smiled at him with an expression betraying resignation on his face.

"Do you need anything?" The father asked as he neared his bed, putting a hand on his forehead.

Felipe shook his head and signaled that he only needed to rest.

"You still have a fever, Felipe!" Diego informed him, although the fever he was referring to was quite low. "I will bring you some willow bark tea and stay with you, alright?"

Felipe shook his head again, then signaled that he will drink the tea but he just needed some rest, so there was no need for anyone to keep vigil on him.

Diego sighed and headed for the kitchen. While making the tea, he asked Maria to also fix a light dinner for his patient, then took everything to his room. The younger man drank the tea but refused the food, signaling he couldn't eat it at that time, so his father moved the tray to a desk by the window, then sat in a chair next to the bed, asking if he wanted him to read him something.

Felipe signaled that he didn't, then asked Diego to go to Victoria's Christmas party, stating, once more, that all he needed was some rest. The tall caballero pretended to give in, and headed for the library, where he remained reading for an hour, then, as his son had fallen asleep, he returned to Felipe's room, resolute to keep vigil on him, whether he wanted or not. While doing that, he took up some reading, the turning of the pages eventually waking up Felipe. Upset with the fact that Diego was not listening to him, the younger man made his adoptive father promise to go to the party and stop worrying about him.

After being rather unceremoniously kicked out of his grown-up son's room, Diego reluctantly made his way towards the kitchen, where he asked Maria to keep an eye on Felipe. Then, after refreshing himself, he put on a dark blue suit, a fresh shirt and a black cravat, mounted Esperanza and proceeded to the cave. Some ten minutes later, just as the sun had finally set, Tornado exited without a rider, his saddlebags filled with Zorro's things.

Felipe fell asleep again minutes after his adoptive father exited his room, only to be disturbed about an hour later by a conversation taking place outside his window. At first, he had thought it was a discussion between some of the vaqueros and turned in his bed, hoping to go back to sleep. Then he heard the word "rob" and he suddenly felt less sleepy. Silently getting out of bed, he thus headed for the window.

"Are you sure they are all gone?" He heard an unfamiliar voice utter a question in a low tone of voice.

"Si. I saw the old man in town and the younger one I saw leave a couple of hours ago. There's only the cook we need to worry about but I doubt she'll be hard to overpower." Another man said.

"We'll have a great Christmas this year, amigos!" A third one announced as Felipe saw them put on their bandanas to cover the bottom half of their faces.

"Ready?" The second one asked. "Sancho, you stay guard. Tavio, you come with me!"

"Si, jefe!" They exclaimed and took their positions.

Felipe's eyes grew wide as, a few moments later, he heard Maria screaming. Thinking fast, he exited and ran towards the cave, blocking the sliding panel behind him. He was hoping that Tornado was there and he might, thus, be able to warn Zorro, but the black stallion was not in his stall, so the young don paced the place for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do.

There were several courses of action he could take, he realized, as he changed his nightclothes for some of his old servant clothes he still had hidden in the cave.

His first option was to exit through the cave's back entrance and make his way to the pueblo. But he was too weak to run all the way and, by the time reinforcements would come, it might have already been too late. Furthermore, he dreaded leaving Maria behind, alone with the thugs.

His second option was to fight them. He might have been able to pull it off, even to defeat him since his skills with the sword were almost as good as his father's. However, if the thieves had guns, as they were most certain to possess, then his swordsmanship would have been useless against them. Diego had always told him that things and money are not worth a man's life. Furthermore, even if he'd get the chance to fight and won, it would have been difficult to explain his swordsmanship later on without giving way the man who had taught him everything he knew.

That left him with his third option: use everyday items and a few of Diego's experiments to catch the bandits. He had to be careful, though. He couldn't use any of Zorro's tricks because they were a dead giveaway, and he couldn't use the substances which might have harmed the thugs (like acids or poisons) since his father probably wouldn't approve of that. Causing damages to the hacienda, such as by fire, was also out of the question, so his options were rather limited.

Felipe thus looked around the cave and identified the only things he could use: ether, which his father had used before as an anesthetic; a type of glue Diego was, at the moment, experimenting with; soap and water, which he could mix together to create a slippery surface.

He had to think fast. While getting to the cave he had heard the thieves asking Maria if there was anyone else in the house and, by then, she must have probably confessed Felipe was there, and they would have started searching for him.

There were plenty of things to steal in the house, but most of the valuable things were kept either in Don Alejandro's bedroom or in the library. Soon enough he heard the men search for him in the rooms next to the exit and looked through the spyhole to see them realizing that the main door had not been bolted, thus assuming he had left the hacienda. Just as they were studying the courtyard, though, thunder was heard and, but minutes later, a downpour started. At about the same time, Tornado entered, without his rider, through the back entrance to the cave and silently headed for his stall. A piece of black cloth was hanging from his saddle horn, the established signal that Zorro was fine and had sent the horse home himself.

"It's dark, cold, it's raining cats and dogs, and he is ill. I doubt he'll survive to get reinforcements, even if he tries to go to the pueblo." He heard one of the thugs say as he returned to the spyhole after inspecting and de-saddling the mount.

Maria, whom they had dragged with them, tied up and gagged, started crying as they said that, and Felipe had to admit he had a good point, for which reason he was lucky to have so easily abandoned his first option.

Felipe thus took a deep breath and thought about what he needed to do. The first problem was that he was, at the moment, stuck behind the fireplace, unable to exit into the house. Fortunately, that particular issue was soon solved as the thieves decided they had plenty of time to adequately search every room and should start with the quarters inhabited by the master of the house.

ZZZ

After leaving the cave that evening, still mounted on Esperanza, Diego followed his favorite stallion into town, keeping his mount some two hundred yards behind him. He, thus, carefully made his way towards Victoria's stables, where he hid Tornado, making sure he would not be easily discovered. Doubling-back a few hundred feet, he then made his official return to the pueblo, just as the night's fiesta was starting and the tavern was filling with people.

About an hour and a half later, when people were already beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol they had already consumed, he silently slipped away unnoticed, then headed for the stables, changed into Zorro's clothes, and silently returned to the tavern's kitchen with a request for Victoria who wasted no time in complying, then headed for the prison.

The Sergeant did not hear Zorro come in, so, when the black-gloved hand of the pueblo's hero woke him up, he almost fell off his chair.

"Buenas noches, Sergeant!" The black-clad man greeted him, as he took an index finger to his mouth to indicate that they needed to be quiet.

"Zorro!" The lancer exclaimed, his voice merely a whisper. "What are you doing here? There's no prisoner for you to set free! Even the Alcalde is convinced you will not show yourself tonight, but only tomorrow!"

"That is, indeed, good news, Sergeant. It means I can just waltz out of the office without ducking bullets for once! However, I do believe there is a prisoner here, my friend. And, since I can't set him free, I thought the least I can do is bring him some of the delicious food and wine everybody seems to be enjoying at the tavern!"

"You did this for me, Zorro? You… you risked coming here just to bring me some of Senorita Escalante's food?" Mendoza asked, confused at seeing the basket. "But… How did you know? The Alcalde didn't even let me have dinner tonight! I thought I would starve to death!"

"That would certainly be unjust! Enjoy your dinner and Feliz Navidad, Amigo! I must take my leave!" He replied and, careful not to be overheard, headed towards the door.

"Feliz Navidad, Zorro!" The Sergeant answered with a friendly smile, at seeing him leave right through the main entrance.

No gunshot was heard and only a couple of lancers even seemed to notice him when he exited into the plaza, yet failed to raise the alarm as he was already mounted on Tornado, heading out of town.

Half a mile away, seeing how he was not being pursued, he doubled-back and returned to Victoria's stables, changed back into the suit he had worn as he came into town and, after tying up a piece of black cloth to his saddle horn, sent Tornado to the cave.

Diego was, at least, happy to have been able to provide his friend with some food and good wine, oblivious of the fact that, not more than five minutes after his departure De Soto had found Mendoza enjoying his gift and forced him to throw everything away, leaving the poor Sergeant in an ever deeper depression than the one he was already in before Zorro had stopped by.

Just a few minutes later a first flash lightened up the sky, warning about the coming storm. Many of the people who had come to attend the party had already left by then, and those who remained inhabited the nearby houses, so they silently took their goodbyes and hurried to their homes, leaving only Diego and Don Alejandro to keep Victoria company.

"I hope you have free rooms," Diego told her from the porch, watching the downpour, "since it looks like we are staying overnight."

The taverness smiled at him, not at all disliking the thought "All the rooms are free." She answered. "You may have your pick."

The two men helped her clean up, then all three of them headed towards their rooms.


	2. Chapter 2

Felipe knew he needed to do something. He had not been raised and taught by Zorro just to remain safely hidden in the cave when he needed to take action, when an innocent woman's life was at stake, as was his own home.

The first thing he did, thus, was to smash some of Diego's glassware. He knew his father wouldn't be thrilled about it, but he had no choice and was sure he'd understand. Then, armed with the glue, a small bucket of soapy water, a small sack filled with glass and a large bottle of ether, he made his way into the library. Once there, he poured the ether on a cloth he had with him, hidden in his sash, then on some blankets he spread on the furniture near the corridor.

The next step was to pour the glue at the entrance linking the large rooms at the front of the hacienda with the wing of the house where the living quarters were situated. He quickly covered in glue enough of the pavement to make sure the bandits would step in it, then placed the broken glass just at the edge of the portion filled with glue. His Grandfather might hate him for doing it, since it could have cause scratches to the marble on the floor, but, again, he couldn't see any alternative.

Finally, the soapy water he poured from that point forward, making sure it would cover most of the surface of the hallway and was unavoidable. All that was left to be done now was for him to hide behind a wall and wait.

Just as he was preparing to do so, however, he also decided it was a good idea to arm himself and to make sure he had a backup plan, should things go wrong. He, thus, returned to the cave, placed a small blade at the back of his sash and another one in the front, filled a new bucket of water and suspended it above the doorway to the corridor, tying up the string to a nearby chair which, if moved, would cause the bucket to collapse. A big book in his hands, ready for anything, he then blew out the candles lighting the entrance to the corridor and purposefully threw down the book to make some noise, only to collect it back a few seconds later.

"What was that?" He heard one of the thieves ask from what he was certain to be his grandfather's room.

"How should I know?" Another wondered. "Probably just the storm."

Felipe then dropped the book a second time and again collected it.

This time the thieves started suspecting something was wrong so their leader ordered one of the others to investigate. The man came slowly and, as he was about to exit the narrow corridor, he felt his boots stuck in the glue. His movement impaired, he lowered himself to see what the substance was and his own hand almost got caught in it. He could still move but with great difficulty so, with a "Qué coño?*" he abandoned his right shoe and took a huge step barefoot straight into the smashed glass which cut straight through his flesh making the man scream in agony. As he tried to reclaim his foot, holding it with his hands around the knee, he ended up falling because the other foot was still glued to the floor and he easily lost his balance. The glass was now also cutting through his face and left shoulder as his screams became louder.

Hearing him, one of the other men came rushing in, stumbled on his injured cohort, pushing the man back into the glass, just as he was getting up, and slipped, face down, on the soapy floor, banging his head into a wall and falling into unconsciousness. As soon as the second bandit was effectively knocked out, Felipe got out from behind the wall and proceeded to bang the head of the first thug with his book, taking him out as well.

Unfortunately, considering all the commotion, the third thug had also left the room just in time to see him and, hurrying to take Maria as his hostage, he pointed the gun at her head and asked loudly for Felipe to come out if he wanted to keep the woman alive. The young don, however, was known to be deaf, and he decided to continue playing that part, as Maria also informed the man about his handicap.

"Deaf, is he?" The bandit leader wondered as he asked the cook to take a candle off the wall so that they could see where they were going. Reaching the point where the pavement was filled with glue, he ripped a nearby curtain, tossing it over the compromised area, including the part filled with glass. He then guided Maria towards the entry into the larger rooms in the front of the hacienda, just as Felipe came out from behind the wall, the large volume in his hands, held before his chest, preparing to strike and defend himself from a bullet at the same time.

"Oh! The hero!" The thug exclaimed, his gun pointing alternatively at Maria and at Felipe. "Let's see how heroic you are when…" that was as far as he was able to get before Felipe used his leg to kick the chair next to him and the bucket of cold water fell on both the bandit and Maria. At that moment, the cook seized her chance to escape and head towards her young don.

Felipe took her hand and pushed her towards the library, indicating that she should hide behind one of the armchairs, then returned his attention to the intruder, just as the man, having recovered from his shock, was about to pull the trigger. He did so, as Felipe raised his book before his chest but nothing happened. Thus, he repeated the action a few more times, until he threw off the gun with its water-soaked gunpowder and drew his sword.

The younger man easily crossed the room to his grandfather's ceremonial sword and took it off the wall, preparing to defend himself. The bandit advanced towards him but, before throwing his first thrust, he slipped, lost his balance and fell, face first, into one of the loveseats, being instantly knocked out by the ether Felipe had previously poured on the blankets spread on it.

Twenty minutes later, when the three men slowly regained their senses, they found themselves gagged and tied up, each to a different chair, as their former hostage and the man who had ruined their plans were carefully cleaning the floors.

As soon as Felipe noticed they were awake, he took out the ether-soaked cloth he had with him and made sure to put them back to sleep, an action he repeated a few more times during that night, as he and Maria spent the Christmas Eve together, eating some of the woman's delicious food, playing cards and waiting for the rain to stop so that they could take the thugs into town.

Eventually, the two of them fell asleep in their chairs, around four in the morning and only woke up when Diego and Don Alejandro returned home.


	3. Chapter 3

That night De Soto went to bed while the party was still going on. As soon as his eyes closed, sleep enveloped him and he dreamt of watching, sitting right next to the King of Spain, as the soldiers were parading a chained Zorro through the streets of Madrid, on his way to the gallows. The gathered crowd, acclaimed him as a hero and was throwing tomatoes and lettuce at his nemesis. It was a very nice dream for De Soto, whose face was beaming, expecting the mask to be removed at any second and to finally look his defeated archenemy in the face. He would have enjoyed his dream a little longer, had a voice not called out to him from the shadows:

"Buona notte, Alcalde!" The voice said and, at waking up instantly, De Soto felt a shiver going through him.

"Who said that! Is that you, Zorro? Of course it must be you, who else? But you won't get away with it this time!" De Sotto threatened, pulling out a sword from under his bed.

A thick fog, seeming to come from a wall, suddenly filled half of the room. Soon enough, a ghostly figure started to drag heavy chains through the wall and into his bedroom. Ignacio de Soto watched in terror how his idol, Niccolo Machiavelli himself, stepped right in front of his bed. His face was white and his hands were hanging so low that they gave the impression that the heavy chains had broken them, and they were now just one more part of the burden the poor apparition had to carry with him.

"You...You are not Zorro!" The Alcalde stated in disbelief. "Who...Who...Who are you? What are you doing here and where have you come from?"

"Don't you recognize me, Alcalde? Is my picture on your wall not a good resemblance to the man I once was?" The ghost wondered.

"Maa..Maaa...Machiavelli? You are Niccolo Machiavelli?" Asked the Alcalde more and more convinced it was but another dream.

"I am, Signore!" Came the answer.

"I have always wished I could have met you!" De Soto confessed. "But you died hundreds of years ago! What are you doing in my bedroom?"

"I am here to warn you, Alcalde!" Machiavelli answered.

"Warn me? Warn me about what? I swear I have taken your lessons to heart! I am guiding my life based on them!" Ignacio replied.

"No, Alcalde! My lessons...I...I was wrong!" The ghost confessed. "I am now condemned for the rest of Eternity. But there is hope for you yet, De Soto! This year, you have done something right… for the wrong reasons, but it was still right, and you earned yourself a second chance. Because of your actions, I am here."

"Wh… What do you mean?"

"Tonight you will be visited by three Christmas Ghosts. Listen to them, accept their lessons, and you can still be saved!" The ghost told him. "Remember! One more chance!"

As he said that, the ghost and all the fog suddenly vanished as if it was never there.

"He was wrong? Machiavelli is the greatest genius that ever lived. And what was that nonsense about Christmas Ghosts? No...I must have had a nightmare! Too bad...I was having such a nice dream before..." Ignacio de Soto uttered to himself with a sigh and returned his head to the pillow, trying to pick up his dream where he had left off.

Suddenly, the fog returned, this time enveloping the entire room.

"Deeeee Sotttttooooo!" He heard a feminine voice calling in a strange tone, making his hair stand up. "Ignaaaaacio De Sotttttooooooo!" The voice repeated.

"Who said that?" He demanded to know.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past!" He heard, as the ghost of his sister, Francisca, materialized before him. "Did I scare you, you Big Goof?" She wondered with a smile.

"Fr...Fra...Francisca? How are you here? How is this possible?" Was his reaction at seeing her.

"I am a ghost, dear Brother. I am always here. That's what ghosts do! Look after the living." She answered.

"You are always here… with me?"

"Not always with you, really. I also spend much of my time with Mother and Grandmother and even keep an eye on my former husband and his new wife." She answered. "I don't really like her, though… He made a very bad second choice."

"How… How come this is the first time I've seen you, then?" He asked her.

"Well, Nacio, let's say it's a special night when you get to reevaluate and compare your choices, so that you might make better ones in the future. A night of answers to the questions you have, and those you have not yet considered." She told him. "But you will understand everything later, and since I don't have all night, I believe we should get going."

As soon as she said that, Ignacio saw a door before them, and as it opened, they found themselves in their old house.

It was Christmas Eve, almost three decades earlier and his sister, six at the time, was helping their mother, Dona Maria, bake cookies. The house was small and cramped, but the cheerful spirit of the mistress of the house and her little senorita, as well as the smell of the fresh cookies made everything seem charming and warm.

Ignacio's younger self was messing with the presents under the tree, intent on finding out what his sister was getting and decide whether to leave it or steal it for himself.

"I remember this Christmas." Grown-up Ignacio said. "I was but 10 at the time. How is this possible?"

"Ghosts can see all through time and space, Nacio. I am only here to take you to the past, but the other ghosts, which will come after me, will also show you the present and the future." Francisca replied and took a finger to her mouth, indicating for him to keep quiet.

"What did you do there, Francisca?" Dona Maria asked her daughter.

"This is a special biscuit for Nacio! And this one is for Father!" The little girl answered with a satisfied smile.

"You have always been such a good child, My Darling!" Her mother said as she caressed her face. Then, signaling to her daughter to look towards Young Ignacio, she asked her in a low tone of voice "What do you think your brother is doing?"

"Nacio? Probably just trying to see if he can steal one of my presents." She answered casually, and her mother laughed at her attitude.

"You knew?" Grown-up Ignacio wondered.

"Of course I knew, Silly. But I didn't mind. I just wanted you to be happy, Nacio! Mother was always so worried about you."

As she said that, they saw their father coming home, all sweaty and tired, yet the little girl jumped straight into his arms and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Young Ignacio was not that cooperative, though, and refused to even embrace him, saying he smelled bad. The father refreshed himself using some hot water Dona Maria had prepared for him and changed his clothes. As soon as he was ready, the mistress of the house and her daughter set the table, then went to another room and woke up her parents, who joined them at the dinner table a few minutes later.

The family had what, to the spectators, looked like a very fun Christmas. They shared presents and a savory meal, chatted, joked and were all happy except for Young Ignacio, who was just complaining about everything. He hated the presents because what he really wanted was a new horse, the food, because his mother had not prepared the pudding he loved, and the company, because his best friend was not there with them.

"Why do you say Mother was worried about me?" The grown-up version of that little boy asked.

"Because she has always been afraid that you would grow up a bitter man, filled with resentment. And look at you, Brother" she said as she was pointing at the boy at the table "always grumpy and never able to appreciate what you had. Just like now. I guess she was right about you."

"What are you talking about? I am not bitter! I have a successful career, I am Alcalde, I have people at my orders." He protested.

"Yet here you are: Christmas Eve and all alone! Not to mention, strangely obsessed with a man that is just trying to save others and prevent you for doing something you might regret for all of Eternity."

"You mean Zorro? Don't tell me that even ghosts buy into that act of his! He is nothing more than a mere criminal."

"Do criminals usually save people, Nacio?" She asked him. "Maybe it's lucky that you are too blind to see what's right in front of you!" She uttered, barely audible. "Come! We need to go on, and my time is running out!" She asked, and a new door opened, which led them to a large room filled with children and only a couple of adults.

Ignacio had some trouble recognizing the young boy they were looking at, but eventually, he recognized the twelve-year-old Jaime Mendoza, standing alone in a corner of the room and playing with a wooden soldier, all by himself.

"Why is he not joining the others?" De Soto asked as he looked at the happy faces of the children playing around the tree with a padre and a beautiful black-haired woman.

"The other children don't like him very much, and a few of them forbade him from playing with them while the De la Vegas visited. I suspect they didn't want him to get any presents." As she said that, Ignacio noticed the much younger Don Alejandro coming in through the door, clumsily disguised as Santa Claus, with a fake white beard, a white-hair wig, dressed all in red, and a sack filled with gifts on his shoulders.

The children suddenly hurried towards him, waiting to receive their presents, but the fake Santa refused to hand them any before they each recited a poem or performed for him, the laughter and joy growing with each and every act.

Jaime had lifted his eyes as the disguised don entered and stood looking from where he was, but did not dare go to collect a present. Then, he returned to his game, just as a small, well-dressed boy came to him. He lifted his eyes again when he noticed his expensive black-leather boots and stared into the blue eyes of six-year-old Diego de la Vega, who handed him a plate filled with cookies.

"Why do you sitting here all by yourself?" The smaller child asked.

Jaime looked at him in confusion and reached to take the cookies.

"The other children don't want me there." He replied as he hurriedly ate the first pastry, in a gesture betraying a hidden fear that someone might take them from him.

"So what?" The smaller boy asked. "Don't you want to join them?"

"I do but… they usually get very upset with me if I disobey them. I prefer not to. Maybe that way they will one day want to be my friends."

Young Diego studied the ground for a few moments, then headed for the people celebrating.

"Well… I guess De la Vega showed his character since he was a child!" De Soto mocked then looked inquisitively as the boy returned with two plates of pudding and the biggest present his parents had prepared for the orphan children, handing the package to the boy sitting on the floor.

"I am Diego." He said as he sat down next to him. "I'd like to be your friend, if you don't mind that I am younger than you."

"No… I don't mind… I am Jaime!" Came the reply, as two wondering eyes looked at Diego, then rested on the present as the hands attached to the same body rapidly opened it to find a pair of new boots which fit him perfectly. "This is the second Christmas present I have ever received!" He confessed.

"They seem to have been made especially for you, Sergeant!" Diego declared, smiling at him as the older boy eyed him again inquisitively.

"Sergeant?" Jaime asked.

"He is a Sergeant, is he not?" The younger boy asked, referring to the wooden toy. "And he looks just like you!" He remarked, seriously.

Jaime agreed and grinned again "Sergeant Jaime Mendoza." He considered, then sat back down to eat his pudding. "Why do you want to be my friend?" He suddenly stopped to ask. "The other boys don't…"

"I don't have many friends, either… except for some boys at the Indian camp, but I don't see them very often. I'm hoping I might make more friends when I start school, though." Diego confessed. "And it's always better to have friends rather than enemies!"

"That is true!" Jaime considered his words, when another boy joined them.

"You're Don Diego, are you not?" He asked.

"I am. And I believe you already know my friend, future Sergeant Jaime."

"Future Sergeant?"

"O, yes! He will be a great warrior!" Diego assured the new arrival who looked fascinated towards Jaime as he sat down.

Young Mendoza glanced between the two and nodded for the first time in his life, self-confident and certain that a bright future was ahead of him.

"Sometimes, just one kind gesture can change a whole lot for a man." Francisca remarked as her brother frowned.

"Yes… Well… Perhaps he should have encouraged Mendoza to be a General, and then he wouldn't be a useless moron, stuck in the middle of nowhere with no prospects for a promotion before him." He answered.

His sister sighed and seemed resigned as she said "We need to go!" and ushered Ignacio out as he turned one more time to eye suspiciously the three children who were now laughing loudly and seemed to have a good time.

As they stepped through the door, they exited in Cadiz, in front of the same house in which he had spent most of his childhood.

"Please Father, it's Christmas!" Dona Maria was pointing out to her father as he was preparing to mount his horse. "We should be celebrating. All of us, together!"

"It's not all of us, though, is it? Ignacio isn't here. And I'm sorry, Daughter," the old man said "but I have unfinished business to attend to! There will be other Christmases!" He answered and galloped away.

After the man departed, Ignacio and his ghostly sister followed his mother, his grandmother and the younger version of the mentioned ghost inside the house, where the living Francisca silently took away one of the plates at the table, then went and threw a letter on the fire.

"I was so mad with you that Christmas!" The ghost uttered to the older Ignacio.

"Just because I've written that I wasn't coming home?" He asked, looking at his letter burn. "Hardly a good reason! It's Grandfather you should have been upset with!"

"You don't remember, do you?" She inquired.

"Remember what?"

"That was the Christmas Grandfather died." She answered, amazed at his capacity to forget such an important event. "It might have been different had he not decided to leave, but he was so blinded by his hatred for that neighbor of ours, Senor Lamas, that he didn't care that it was Christmas. All he cared about was fighting with him because his goats destroyed a few square feet of Grandfather's garden. The man even paid Father for the damage and apologized several times. We could have spent Christmas together, all of us, and everything would have been different. Perhaps he would have listened to you. Instead, you decided not to come home from University, and Grandfather chose the worst moment to be stubborn. When Father returned home that evening he found him dead, near the road."

"He was mugged and killed… that was by no means my fault! He should have stayed home! You, Mother and Grandmother shouldn't have let him leave." Ignacio defended himself.

"We both know that was not in our power. Whose temper do you think you inherited? He was just as determined as you are when he made a decision, and it led him to his death. And no one ever blamed you, Ignacio. I was upset because you weren't there when we needed you! But that doesn't matter, really. What matters is that you don't repeat his mistake! That's all you need to take from this: don't let stubbornness overpower you because it may just lead to your demise in ways you couldn't possibly anticipate!"

As she counseled him another door opened and the next thing he knew, they were on one of the busy streets of Madrid, standing in front of a tavern where Ignacio saw himself drinking and joking with some of his friends.

"Oh… I remember that Christmas! Juan, Mateo and… that's Joaquim! We used to call him 'El Ojo' because he never ever missed in target practice." Ignacio uttered, with a wide grin. "We had quite a great time!"

"Yes… Well… I am glad you, at least, had fun that Christmas. For me, Mother and Grandmother was not as fun." She said as the scenery changed and they were again in his childhood home in Cadiz. "You, again, remained in Madrid, Grandfather was dead, and Father was becoming a shadow of himself… it was still at the beginning of his illness but, trust me, it was not particularly fun to watch as his muscles were giving up on him, and his words were making less and less sense. You were never there when we needed you, Ignacio!" She reproached him as he looked around to see the three women helping his father to a chair, then his mother cutting his food and helping him eat.

They were doing their best to be cheerful but even he could notice the effort the three women were putting into encouraging the man of the house. He didn't even bother to pretend there was anything to be cheerful about. All he spoke were a few words inquiring where his son was, words which barely even made sense.

"I was in my third year of University! I was expected to stay in Madrid!" Ignacio tried to excuse himself. "I had no idea he was already that bad…"

"No, you didn't… Still… You always did what you thought benefited you and never really cared to do what was right…" She replied sadly. "But I still hope, Ignacio! I really do!"

When the door opened again, it took De Soto few moments to realize they were back in Los Angeles since the pueblo only consisted of half the buildings currently erected around its plaza. The Mission, the tavern, the cuartel and a building next to the tavern, which was now gone, were the only indications of human presence he could see there. The bank and several of the other buildings didn't exist yet and the plaza was deserted.

His sister pointed him in the direction of the establishment he knew belonged to Victoria Escalante. Through one of the windows he noticed that the place was mostly empty, lightened by just a few candles, and only two people were inside, caught into an embrace. One was obviously a woman and the other a tall man.

"Is that Zorro?" Ignacio asked, a smile on his face as his sister indicated that he should follow her inside.

"How could they do this to me?" He heard the taverness questioning, yet her voice was different somehow. "How could they just leave me all alone? What will become of me now?"

De Soto sighed his disappointment as he realized that he was standing before a crying younger Victoria sheltered in the arms of a four-years-older Diego de la Vega. The man looked a lot as he had the first time Ignacio had met him, so the older man realized it was, most probably, the Christmas before he had left for Spain.

"Why is she crying on his shoulder?" De Soto asked mockingly.

"Her mother was executed six weeks earlier for having helped an injured man who turned out to be a rebel, her father left her and her brothers to get his revenge on the men who had killed his wife, and her brothers decided to follow him that very morning, so she was left all alone, on Christmas Eve, at the age of fourteen." Francisca answered. "In the span of two months, she lost every member of her family and found herself alone in the world."

"It will be alright, Victoria!" Diego tried to encourage her. "You will always have me and my father. We may not be your blood, but we will be here for you!" He promised.

"How can you say that, when you are due to leave for Spain just after your birthday, in less than two months?" Victoria asked him, staring straight into his eyes.

"I won't leave, then." He replied, determination in his voice. "Felipe doesn't want me to, and you need me. I will stay here and look after the two of you."

"No! You… You can't!" She protested. "I didn't mean to reproach you for leaving… How many people have the chance you've been given? And you have a brilliant mind, Don Diego! You need to go…" She uttered, regretfully. "I… I will still be here when you come back. And, as you said, Don Alejandro will look out for me! I know he will!"

Diego sighed and kiss her head then realized it was, perhaps, unwise for him to remain in the tavern all alone with Victoria.

"Why don't we have this year's Christmas party here, instead of the hacienda? We can invite all our friends and celebrate together." He suggested.

"Here? But it's already 6 pm! I can't prepare the food in just a couple of hours!" Victoria told him.

"But the tavern is already decorated, and Maria made enough food for us at the hacienda. We can bring it here!" He decided. "Come! We need to hurry!" He added, as he dragged Victoria out of the tavern and helped her up on his horse, sitting her in front of him as they bolted for the hacienda.

"And what am I supposed to get from this?" Ignacio asked his sister. "That Diego is always up for a Christmas party?"

"No… What you need to know… you have to deduce yourself this time, Nacio." She answered and showed him to the next door which opened just in front of the University of Madrid. Climbing the stairs, De Soto followed Francisca to the big hall of the University, where lots of young people in elegant attires were dancing and cheerfully talking, glasses of wine in their hands. Ignacio started recognizing some.

"That's Sevilla Cortez! And Antonio Pascual! Just the sight of him used to make me sick!" He said looking around the room. "And there! De la Vega with his friend, the one who was following him like a dog. What was his name? Dos Santos! Yes, that's it! Emmanuel Dos Santos!"

"And there you are!" She pointed out, her hand directed towards a couple spinning around on the dancefloor. "You are quite the dancer, you know, Brother? The senorita was a good dancer, too, I see! What was her name? Rafaela? Yes, you wrote to me about her! Rafaela Soler de Vives."

"Perhaps! I don't remember the senorita." He answered, suddenly distressed. "Let's just leave! I don't understand why you brought me here!"

The music stopped and the pairs parted. His younger self went to get a glass of wine for his lady but, the moment he turned his back on her, she started walking towards Diego de la Vega, who was engaged, at the time, in a discussion with his friend Emmanuel.

At that point, Francisca took Ignacio's hand and made him follow her towards Diego.

"I don't care about what they're discussing, Francisca! Why do you want to go there? I know he tried to court her, and I know how it turned out, since they are not married!"

"Perhaps you should find out, anyway..." She suggested.

Rafaela reached the two Caballeros, carefully making sure that young Ignacio wouldn't see her.

"Here you are, Diego!" Rafaela said. "Won't you invite me to a dance?"

"It would be my honor, Senorita," he replied, "but I am afraid Ignacio would miss your company."

"Why should you bother about Ignacio, Diego? Don't tell me you are afraid of him!" Rafaela insisted.

"Ignacio is my friend, Senorita Rafaela, and has been courting you for a few months now." Diego replied with a kind smile, after taking a moment to reflect on how to diplomatically reject her. "I don't think he would appreciate me dancing with you."

"It is just a dance, Diego! You don't need to propose to me afterwards. Although, if you do, I might accept!" Rafaela encouraged him.

"I truly am sorry, Senorita, but the truth is I am also a bit sore from my fencing class, and I would make a very bad dancing partner." Diego tried to find another excuse.

"Fine! Have it your way, Diego de la Vega! It is beneath me to insist that a caballero dance with me! Where is that Ignacio?" She turned to look for him but he had gone. "Ignacio?" She started heading in the direction from whence she came.

"Why didn't you want to dance with her, Diego?" Asked his friend, Dos Santos. "Ignacio de Soto is not your friend and we both know that! Not to mention they are not engaged or anything like that, and Rafaela is certainly one of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen!" He added.

"He might not see me as a friend, Emmanuel, but he loves the senorita, while I have no interest in her. She might not feel the same about him, but I am certainly not going to encourage her to shift her affections towards me. That would certainly be wrong." Diego replied, neither his stance, not his words indicating he was the same man De Soto had gotten to know in Los Angeles. Ignacio didn't really notice that, though, his mind to prejudiced with his own perception of the man.

"Always doing the right thing, aren't you Diego? Is it because of that girl you left back home, in California? Will you not look at another woman, all these years in Madrid, for a girl that might be married when you return?" Emmanuel asked a little mockingly.

"You may be right, Emmanuel. Four years is a long time. Yet, I don't know how to explain it, but there is some part of me which is convinced that she is the only woman I could ever marry. The only one who would wait for me, no matter how long." He answered, thinking of Victoria.

"I saw Rafaela with him that night," Ignacio told his sister after listening to that conversation, "and I realized she was more interested in him than in me, so I just left and never attended another Christmas celebration since. I didn't blame her, though. He might be a bore, but he is the sole heir of one of the richest men in California."

"Not everything is about money, Ignacio!" Francisca pointed out.

"I never knew he rejected her! I… I never wanted to see her again… I was always convinced that she got tired of him and that is why they never married." Ignacio confessed. "I see now that he never even bothered courting her. Ha! Fencing lessons! What a stupid excuse!"

"Do you want to see more or are you ready to go?" His sister inquired. "My time is almost up, Big Brother!"

"We can go... But I do wonder who was Emmanuel talking about! From what I know, De la Vega has shown no interest in any woman in Los Angeles. Spends all his time in the tavern... He was probably wrong, and she was married by the time he returned. Poor fool!"

His sister looked at him with some pity but did not reply. "I believe this is where we part, Ignacio." She said as they returned to his room in the garrison. "Remember! There are lessons you need to learn and all your questions are being answered. But the only way to understand them is for you to be ready to change, Brother. Until you are, the meaning of what you see will remain hidden to you." As she said that, De Soto stared at her skeptically. "Two more ghosts will visit you, Nacio. Be ready for them!"

"One more thing, Francisca!" He stopped her before she vanished "Machiavelli told me that there was one good thing I did… the reason for your presence here, tonight. Can you tell me what it was?" He asked.

"You saved Diego, of course! That was the right choice, Nacio! For you, that will always be the right choice." She answered.

As she said that, she vanished through the thick fog, leaving him to wonder about what he had witnessed, and why was De la Vega so important.

ZZZ

Minutes after Francisca left, another ghost appeared. This time, it was the ghost of his childhood friend, Nicolas Huerta. Nicolas had died when he was but twelve, and Ignacio decided right then and there never to get truly attached to another person again, a decision cemented when his own sister died, nine years later and Rafaela, whom he did fall in love with, turned out to be smitten with Diego.

Nicolas entered the room all cheerful and went straight for Ignacio.

"You look so old, Nacio!" He remarked.

"Nicos?" He asked. "Is that really you?"

"It is, amigo!" He replied. "Are you ready?"

"Ready or not, I am starting to sense I don't have a say in all this!" De Soto answered.

"That is very true, my friend! But it is for your own good!"

As he said that, they found themselves in the tavern during that evening's fiesta, and Nicos took his hand and guided him to the kitchen.

"Here it is, Zorro!" Victoria said. "Everything prepared, just as you asked. But why are you doing this? Isn't it dangerous to go to the cuartel just to bring a basket of food?"

"It might be. Although, I have the feeling the Alcalde doesn't expect me to make any sort of appearance tonight, Victoria."

"And what if it's a trap?" She wondered, concerned.

"I don't believe it is. I hear that our esteemed Alcalde expects me tomorrow, but I believe I shall let him wait. You know that he dislikes the holidays so much that he made Mendoza guard an empty prison just to make sure he doesn't enjoy himself on Christmas Eve? Sometimes the man really tries my patience!"

"He is a bitter, angry, little man with no heart!" She protested. "No, I am sorry, I shouldn't talk about him this way! He saved my best friend's life but a couple of months ago. If it hadn't been for him, Diego would have surely died!"

"You… care about him, Victoria?" Zorro wondered, making sure not to seem too keen to find the answer to that question.

"About Diego? Of course, I care about him! Together with his father and Felipe they are like family to me! I care for Diego as I care for my own brothers!"

"Just a brother? Is that how you truly see him?"

"Zorro! You know you never need to worry about any other man!" Victoria misinterpreted his words. "I promised my heart to you and with you it belongs!"

"No matter who I am, or how I look? No matter how long you'll still have to wait for me?"

"No matter! But I do hope I will, at least, know at some point! You did promise we'll get married one day." She answered. "I can't very well marry a man I don't know!"

"You will know the man, Victoria! One day, when my choices will no longer endanger your life, I will take off this mask, and we will finally be together."

"That shall be the happiest day of my life, Zorro!" She declared, reaching to kiss him.

"Oh...Why do you make me watch this...this sugary nonsense?" De Soto questioned. "At least if she knew his true identity, it would have made it worthwhile!"

"All you really have to do, Nacio, is watch and listen. But you never did master that art, did you?" Nicolas said with a sad smile. "Come, let's follow him!"

As he said that, the ghostly boy guided him towards his office, then to the prison where they witnessed the conversation between Zorro and Sergeant Mendoza.

"So he knew exactly who that food was from and he lied to my face!" Ignacio uttered. "He never even tried to arrest that outlaw!"

"Why would anyone want to harm someone who only helps, Nacio?"

"Helps! Don't be ridiculous! The man is just trying to... to bribe the Sergeant using his weakness for food! All he wants is to get rid of us!" De Soto replied upset.

"He could kill him! He could kill all of you if he wanted, and no one would ever know he did it. He is already an outlaw with a price on his head, so a few more crimes would make no difference, would they? If he wanted to get rid of you, murder would be the fastest solution, is that not so?"

"I suppose you also believe he doesn't kill us because he is so noble and good!" Ignacio protested. "Don't make me laugh! He is nothing but a coward!"

"Murder is a coward's solution!" Nicos replied, quoting words De Soto found familiar.

"Where did I hear that?" He asked.

"Zorro, maybe?" The boy answered.

"Well… that is something he might say, I guess… Although, I'm not sure it was him…" De Soto replied pensively.

Moments later the scenery changed, and they suddenly found themselves on a field, right next to a canyon.

"Look down!" Nicos directed him.

De Soto looked and saw the lifeless body of a lancer lying there, about twenty feet below him.

"Who is that?" He asked.

"That is your Sergeant Mendoza." Came the answer.

"Mendoza? Wh…What happened to him?"

"Nothing yet. But, tonight, he only had a little of the food Zorro gave him, and tomorrow you already asked him to leave on patrol at dawn, meaning he will not have the chance to eat anything. That, the tiredness from tonight's guard duty, the slippery terrain, and a disease he doesn't know he has but which weakens him when he forgets to eat, will end up making the Sergeant more than a little dizzy, enough to fall off his horse and to his death. It is a shame, though. He was always there for you, Nacio!

"A few months ago he risked his own life for you because he was asked to do something he knew to be wrong. And what did you do in return? You almost left him to die an agonizing death just to save your own skin! It is funny, however: the same wrong choice you made to save yourself, eventually led to you receiving this second chance."

"Yes… De la Vega… What is so special about Diego, anyway? He wastes his life reading books and doing nothing even remotely useful."

"I do believe you might be seriously misjudging him, amigo! He also learns a lot and has a very creative mind. But, since we are on that subject, have you ever thought that you are wasting your life pursuing a man you know you'll never catch? One who you might not even want dead, after all, despite what you believe?"

"Don't be absurd, Nicos! Of course, I want Zorro dead! But I...I don't want the Sergeant to die. I did not know this would happen just because I didn't let him have his dinner!" Ignacio apologized, returning to the scene ahead.

"What you see can be avoided, Nacio! All that hasn't happen yet might still be changed. It's only up to you to do so." The ghost boy assured him as the scene changed once more and they found themselves in the De la Vega hacienda.

By the light outside it was about noon the following day and everyone present there was laughing, happily discussing the year which was just about to end and looking confidently towards the future. The way they behaved reminded Ignacio of the best Christmases he had spent with his family and made him realized that he had, indeed, never really treasured those times as he should have.

Another change of scenery brought him back to Cadiz, where he saw his mother and grandmother sit alone at the Christmas table, both remembering the good times they had when their entire family celebrated together. They mentioned his father and grandfather, Ignacio and his sister, and he saw that the two women shed tears at their memories. He also noticed that his grandmother seemed ill and realized that was probably his last chance to see her alive, so he was, for a brief moment, grateful for the entire strange affair.

Listening to them, though, he also realized how much he, too, missed those days which were never to return, and wished, for the first time in a long while, for the opportunity to spend Christmas with his family again, vowing that if he was ever given a second chance at that, he would not waste it.

"It is time for me to go, Amigo!" Nicolas brought his thoughts back to the present. "I am sorry my death made you close your heart to others. Perhaps, if you found it in you to open it again, you might eventually get back everything you lost and much more."

"And how exactly can I get back my friend, my father, my sibling? How can I get back the woman I loved when she is lost forever?"

"Perhaps there is another friend, another father, another sibling and another woman somewhere. People who might make a better man out of you, Nacio. Have you considered that? Life is full of surprises! All you need to do is be careful with your choices and the reasons behind them!"

"Right!" De Soto uttered mockingly.

"Goodbye, my friend!" Nicolas said as he disappeared right in front of him.

"Goodbye, Nicos!" De Soto replied just as the boy vanished into thin air.

ZZZ

As soon as the ghost of his friend was gone, De Soto saw something else emerge from the fog. It was not the ghost of someone he knew, though. Not this time. It was a tall figure, dressed in a black robe, face hidden in the shadow of a hood. The apparition was floating instead of walking, like the other two ghosts had done. Ignacio looked at it and felt a cold shiver down his spine.

"You are the Ghost of Christmas Future, I suppose?" He asked.

The ghost gave no answer.

"Where are we going?" He questioned.

Again, the ghost remained silent but made a gesture with its hand.

They made no move but their surroundings changed and seconds later they were standing on a familiar street of Cadiz, right in front of his old house.

There was only one light in his old house and they entered to find his mother all alone, crying and reading old letters she had kept and on which Ignacio recognized his writing as well as his sister's.

"Why is she so alone?" He asked. "And why is she sobbing like that?"

The ghost indicated for him to look at the papers on the bed and he saw that one was a receipt for 20 pesos paid for a tombstone. "My grandmother?" he asked, and the ghost nodded. "So all she has left is me, and I am in Los Angeles because of that… that arch being! Oh… I need to think of a way to capture him… and fast. I will not allow for this to happen!"

Just as he said that, the scenery changed again and they were back in Los Angeles. It was also Christmas Eve but there was no decoration anywhere and the few people on the streets seemed to be in a grim mood. Making their way towards the tavern, they found it almost empty, nothing inside indicating that it was a holiday as in the previous years.

The only three customers were talking in a low tone of voice at one of the tables as Victoria exited the kitchen to bring them some food. De Soto noticed she was even thinner than he knew her to be and, by her reaction when one of the three men tried to have her sit in his lap, a mere shadow of the woman he knew. When she refused, her customer slapped her, then forced a kiss on her. She suffered through it without posing too much resistance, then escaped through the kitchen as fast as she could.

"What happened to her?" De Soto asked, as he went on to observe her further, but the ghost still gave him no answer. "What happened to this town?" He wondered, being yet again left without an answer.

Suddenly, the scenery changed again and they were both in a graveyard. The ghost pointed towards a grave and De Soto again saw Victoria Escalante.

"Almost a year, now!" The taverness whispered, sobbing, kneeling before a grave. "And I still don't know how to go on without you!"

"Is that Zorro's grave?" De Soto asked with a smile. "Do I finally catch him?"

The ghost said nothing.

"Why did you have to sacrifice yourself for that monster? Didn't you know how important you were? To all of us?" Victoria asked the name on the grave. "Damn De Soto and his plans! He should have been the one to die that day instead of you!"

Getting closer, De Soto saw the name Diego de la Vega on the tomb. "De la Vega? He sacrificed himself to save me? Why?" De Soto still asked, despite no longer even expecting an answer from the ghost.

"And now your father is also dead… Felipe left Los Angeles… Your lands and the hacienda lay abandoned… This pueblo… Everything is wrong, Diego! And I am alone! I have no one! You promised I would always have you and Don Alejandro, but the two of you also left me!" The taverness continued her monologue with the tombstone.

"He was a good man! He knew what De Soto was doing, and he still saved him!" Padre Benitez neared her and tried to console the young woman. "God forgive me, but the Alcalde did not deserve to be saved! Certainly not at the expense of Don Diego's life." He muttered.

"No… He didn't!" She agreed with the man as her sobbing engulfed her entire being.

"You'd say she's crying for her lover, not for the man she claims to be her best friend!" De Soto remarked cynically.

"And it was so useless! He died to save that evil man…" Victoria continued as soon as she collected herself enough. "but he died just a few weeks later, anyway! So his sacrifice was in vain because De Soto was never able to learn from his mistakes! He never cared for anything but his own glory and that led to his downfall. And, with him, two other lancers perished. And many good men and women also ended up dead… people who could have been saved if Diego had been the one to survive! He would have known what to do to help!" She answered. "All because of Ignacio De Soto's obsession with the one man who risked everything for us!"

"I died, too? What is that supposed to mean?" Ignacio wondered.

The ghost indicated for him to look closely in order to see the date on the grave.

"Two months? Diego dies in two months to save me?" De Soto asked, and the ghost nodded its head, then pointed towards what looked like almost 40 new graves, and directed Ignacio towards them.

"That is my name on that grave! It's true then? I also die? Less than a month after Diego? And all those people? The dates are different but ... Why? What does Diego's death have to do with anything?" He asked, but, again, received no answer. Looking carefully at the graves, an idea started circulating through his mind. "I see. I see, now!" He whispers, just for himself. "Diego!"

The ghost just turned towards him and they suddenly found themselves back in the Alcalde's bedroom. A moment later, the ghost was gone, and it was morning.


	4. Chapter 4

It was already two in the morning when, unable to sleep, Don Alejandro got out of bed and headed for the kitchen to fix himself a late snack.

Victoria heard the noise from her room and followed him downstairs in her nightshirt, over which she had rapidly wrapped her red robe, bumping into the old don as he was exiting the kitchen, a glass of water in one hand and a plate of enchiladas in the other.

"Victoria!" He exclaimed. "Did I wake you up? I'm afraid I got hungry and couldn't sleep." The old don then proceeded to explain his reason for stealing food from her kitchen at that time of night.

"It's alright, Don Alejandro!" She replied with a smile. "You needn't worry about it. I couldn't really sleep, either… In fact, do you mind if I join you? I can make us some tea."

"I would love the company, my dear." He accepted her offer and headed to the taproom, where he took a seat at one of the tables near the kitchen, lightening a few of the candles in the room.

A few minutes later, Victoria joined him, bringing a tray with two cups of tea and a couple of enchiladas for herself.

"So…" Don Alejandro asked "how did you enjoy the party this evening?"

"It was rather fun, wasn't it?" She answered. "I was only sorry that Felipe couldn't make it."

"Yes. I am sorry, as well, but I hope he'll be feeling better for Christmas lunch."

"I hope he will, Don Alejandro." She uttered, then a few moments of silence fell over them as neither one thought of any other topic of conversation.

"Do you think we might be waking up Don Diego?" She asked when the silence felt uncomfortable, unaware that they had already awakened the tall caballero.

"I doubt it. He can sleep through anything!" Don Alejandro answered with a grin.

"You know… It was because of him that I started organizing these parties on Christmas Eve."

"Because of Diego?"

"He suggested them. Don't you remember? I was… fourteen at the time. It was the year before he went to Spain. Just after my mother was…" Victoria couldn't finish as the memories of that awful day in which her mother had been executed came back in full force. "My father and my brothers left just before Christmas, and I remember he found me crying when he came to town and saw the tavern closed. He came up with the idea of the party so that I wouldn't spend Christmas Eve all by myself. We brought the food Maria had cooked for you and, while you and your men..."

"I remember!" Don Alejandro told her as the memory suddenly returned. "I rarely saw Diego so excited! He made me promise to do what he wanted before telling me his plan, and then he went to tell all our friends that the night's celebration was moving to the tavern. You know… back then, I remember suspecting that my son had a little crush on you…"

"Don Diego? I doubt that! I was much too young for him at the time. But he's always been a great friend. When Mother died, I remember thinking he was the only one to actually understand what I was going through, since he had also lost his mother when he was about my age. Then, when my father and my brothers left, you and Diego slowly slipped into their roles. I don't know what would have happened to me had it not been for the two of you!"

"I'm sure you would have been just fine even without us, Victoria. I don't think I've ever met a more capable women than you, my dear. But I do wonder what would have happened to all of us had it not been for Zorro. Do you remember when he first appeared?"

"I believe that was when he got you and me out of jail!"

"Yes. Just about eight months after Luis Ramon took over as Alcalde. They were hard times… I thought we were going to lose this pueblo to that man's greed and thirst for power. When he tried to hang me… I really thought I would never see another day. I don't believe I had ever been so grateful towards another man in my entire life, as I was when Zorro saved me and my men."

"I know how you feel! I think I fell in love with him that first night when he got us out of jail. But this waiting, Don Alejandro… Sometimes I fear it might never end!"

"I just hope your waiting will not be in vain, Victoria! He lives a dangerous life, your masked man. He might be a hero but he is still only human. Took a bullet for me, as you well know, just two months ago. We were both lucky that time and I confess that I had never met another man as strong and resourceful as him. But it was still luck… One bullet it's all it takes to…"

"Don't even say that!" Victoria begged. "If anything would happen to him I… I really don't know what I would do, Don Alejandro!"

"I'm sorry Victoria!" The don replied. "I didn't mean to upset you. Zorro is a man who surely knows how to take care of himself!"

"He certainly does!" She confirmed giving up on the dread that was, moments earlier, threatening to take over her heart. "And he's far more able than the Alcalde and all his lancers!"

"That's true, my dear. You know… There are days when I certainly wish Diego was more like Zorro."

"Don Diego? More like Zorro?"

"In that he might be less frustrating." Don Alejandro explained. "That son of mine has a good head on his shoulders and a kind heart… oh, and he can fight if he wants to! But does he? No! He prefers spending his time on his experiments and that newspaper, and ignoring most of his duties towards this pueblo."

"I think you are being too harsh on him, Don Alejandro. You know… Zorro has, ever since he arrived, been the one doing the fighting. When no one else is able to make the Alcalde see reason, or when something is wrong and needs to be put right… or when people are in danger and nobody else can help them, it's Zorro to always swoop in and save the day.

"But then it's always you and Diego who eventually convince the Alcalde to better his ways, to find solutions for those affected, and help the people rebuild their lives. If I wasn't certain that neither you nor your son knows who Zorro is, I'd think the three of you make quite a team!" Victoria joked, and Don Alejandro rewarded her with a wide smile.

"Sometimes I wish I knew who he was, Victoria! I'd do my best to help him, although, in all fairness, he seems to be doing more than well enough on his own. On the other hand, I'd rather you Diego and Felipe don't find out his true identity… at least, not before he's finally able to safely unmask. That secret of his is too dangerous for anyone to know."

Victoria smiled pensively and emptied her tea cup.

"No…Don't get me wrong, Victoria!" Don Alejandro then returned to his previous affirmation. "I wasn't saying that I wished for Diego to be Zorro. I'd be bursting with pride if he was… but God knows I'd also be worried sick. No… I'm quite happy with him being a man of peace, rather than a man of action, even if it took me a long time to realize it.

"A few months back… when Gilberto was about to shoot him… I promised God I would never in my life say another hurtful thing to my boy if He'd just let him live. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost him that awful day, nor do I know how I would have lived with myself. I called Diego a coward once, you know? He's no coward, though, not my son. He just doesn't want to fight if there's even the smallest chance to avoid it. But he will fight if he has to. He saved my life when Gilberto… Did I ever tell you? He was magnificent, Victoria! For a moment… For a moment I did wonder… and realized how relieved I was that it is not my son risking his life every time Zorro needs to make an appearance.

"But I wished he'd be more… more like me, I guess. I'd wish he'd get angry from time to time! He never gets angry! Did you see that? Sometimes I look at him and wonder if he truly is my son. And then I look at Zorro… He's so fearless, so sure of himself, so..."

"Dashing, heroic, wonderful?" Victoria took it upon herself to fill in the blanks and the don smiled at her words.

"Yes… I'd wish Diego was, at least, a little like that. Maybe then he'd also get to know the passion and devotion of a good woman, such as you, my dear."

Victoria lowered her eyes, unable to understand the sudden wave of jealousy which overcame her the moment Don Alejandro even mentioned the idea of another woman loving Diego. She knew the caballero who was her best friend had his own past. That there had been at least a woman in his life before, a woman he would have married, had fate not intervened.

On the other hand, she also knew he was secretly in love with another woman and suspected it might even be her, considering how much time he spent in her company, and how he was always ready to defend her, should the need arise. She was also in love with another man, Zorro, so that also fit with what he had confessed to her. That simple idea made her feel quite flattered. The knowledge that he, too, was waiting for someone - whether it truly was her or not - somehow also made her own waiting easier.

But, on the other hand, she knew it was wrong of her to wish for Diego to always be there for her, since he, too, deserved to be happy with a woman he loved. Since she had already given her heart to Zorro, that woman couldn't possibly be her, unless… But that was not even an option. Her hero was never to be mortally injured or defeated. He'd always prevail and one day they'd be together, just as he had promised her.

Then why was she feeling jealous of Diego? Maybe because she knew that he could, at any point, any day, decide to stop waiting and get married? He was the most renowned bachelor in the territory but that didn't mean he didn't have his own passions and yearnings, like any other man. Passions he had awoken in a beautiful woman once, a woman like Zafira who, after so many years, was still in love with him. He was also rich, which, all by itself, made him attractive to most young ladies in California, and not only. Worse, still, he was quite handsome, Victoria found herself thinking, unable to do anything about the decision of her skin to turn pinkish at remembering having stared at Diego's mostly naked body when they happened to have the same idea of going swimming that hot October afternoon. Ever since then, the taverness had found it harder and harder to avoid flashing back to that day almost every time she saw the man she proclaimed to be her best friend. Sometimes she even caught herself wondering if Zorro looked at all like him under the mask… and his shirt… and finding that she wished he did.

Of course, if Diego was Zorro, that would make things so much easier, she considered, then inwardly laughed at the thought. Impossible! She told herself.

"Perhaps one day he will…" She answered after a long pause during which she tried to order her multitude of scrambled thoughts. "Diego is a very good and very attractive man. He might be… well… Diego… but he will surely make a great husband to a very lucky woman someday."

As she said that and the don smiled, grateful for her words as he couldn't help but imagine how perfect a couple his son and the taverness would make, she stood up and placed the two empty cups and plates on a tray.

"We should go to sleep Don Alejandro!" She suggested. "We don't want Diego to wake up before us in the morning!"

"Perhaps he should, for once!" The don joked back and, after she refused his help to wash the dishes and to put away the remaining food, he took his good night and went back to his room where, some five minutes later, he was fast asleep.

Victoria finished in the kitchen, then remained there a little while longer, sitting at her worktable, trying to deal with her own emotions and the sudden attraction she realized to be feeling towards the De la Vega heir.

In that time, after his father had returned to his room, Diego, who, no longer able to sleep either, had shamelessly eavesdropped on their entire conversation, slipped into Victoria's bedchamber and left her a present, then carefully returned to his room and went to sleep.

Victoria saw the package and the familiar handwriting on the note when she finally decided to get some rest and, for a few moments, she wondered if she hadn't perhaps missed seeing it before. She was certain that she hadn't, though. It was not that easy to miss seeing something on your own pillow, after all.

Yet, it was pouring outside and there was no boot imprint, nor any water drips on the floor. No sign of him having been there, except for the package and the letter. And how could he have gotten there with all that rain?

Knowing that the man she loved was much more resourceful than anyone gave him credit for – and he was credited with a lot of resourcefulness as it was, anyway – Victoria decided he had been probably gallant enough to wipe the mess he had made off her floor and…. closed ?... window. Rather puzzled but not even considering the truth as a better explanation, she took the letter, smiling at his words, then picked up his gift. Opening it, she found a blue Opal pendant. After putting it on and admiring it in the mirror, she placed it on her nightstand, closed the drapes which allowed for the outside light to enter her room, then got into her bed, blew off her only candle and lay admiring the florescent light of her one-of-a-kind jewel until she eventually fell asleep with a wide grin on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Diego woke up at dawn, relieved that the rain had stopped. Feeling rather guilty about having left Felipe alone in the hacienda the entire night, he hurried to get dressed and descended the stairs leading to the taproom just as Victoria was exiting the kitchen.

"Good morning, Diego!" She greeted him, her eyes looking at his ruffled white shirt and her mind staring right through it until she had to look away or turn red.

"Good morning, Victoria!" He replied, admiring the necklace she was wearing and deciding it had been a good gift. "Do you know if my father is awake already?"

"Not yet, as far as I know. Is there something wrong, Diego?"

"I guess I am a little preoccupied about Felipe." He answered as he took a seat at one of the tables, and the taverness poured him some coffee without even asking if he wanted any, then sat down with him.

"Gracias!" He uttered as he raised the cup to his mouth and took a sip.

"De nada." She answered and took a sip of her own coffee. "Did I already thank you for your gift, Diego?" She asked nonchalantly as his heart froze at thinking she had discovered his secret.

He decided to play it safe, anyway and simply questioned "My gift?"

"Yes. The book. You were my Secret Santa, weren't you?"

"Oh… Yes… You weren't supposed to know that." He explained his confusion, relieved he had had the occasion to give her presents as both Diego and Zorro that Christmas. As his public persona, he usually avoided doing that, except on her birthday, less anyone started to suspect him. "It's one of my favorites. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have."

"I'm sure I will… as soon as I have the time to read it, that is!" She chuckled.

"One can always make time to read a good book." He encouraged her. "I do wonder what's with my father, though. He's usually up before me."

"Well… he did go to bed rather late last night…"

"Late? It was barely 11 pm…" Diego pretended to know nothing about their midnight conversation.

"Yes… but then he couldn't sleep, and neither could I, so we spent some time talking and only got to sleep around 2 a.m."

"Really? Anything interesting came up?" He wondered, as if he had no idea of what she was talking about.

"Well… No… Nothing that interesting comes to mind…" Victoria uttered, teasingly. She had been doing that a lot, she realized: teasing Diego. Suddenly remembering she was an engaged woman, she picked up her coffee and took a long drink from it, completely ignoring the burning sensation it left on her tongue.

"Isn't that too hot for you?" Diego asked her, somehow concerned.

"No… I'm just fine." She replied unconvincingly, and he did his best to cover a smile.

"I was sorry not to see Sergeant Mendoza at the party last evening." Diego changed the topic of conversation. "He's always loved Christmas. It must have been quite hard for him to be so close yet so unable to enjoy your cooking. We all know how he loves it. I can't understand what has gotten into Ignacio lately."

"Oh… Don't worry about Mendoza, Don Diego! I have it on good authority that he was provided with his personal Christmas feast." Victoria told him with a chuckle and a look saying she knew more than she was willing to disclose.

"Really? And who might that someone be?" Diego pretended to be curious.

"Well…" She said and drew a Z in the air "…of course!"

"Zorro?" He wondered as if he had no idea of what she was talking about. "He was here? Did I miss him yet again?"

"Everybody did!" Victoria replied with conviction. "He only came for some food and wine to take to Mendoza and remained in the kitchen all the time until I finished preparing the basket."

"I see… Well, Victoria… I do hope he was a gentleman."

"He always is, Diego!" Victoria replied, her voice containing a hint of undisguised rage at the implication that her hero might be anything less than a total gentleman with her.

"Diego, Victoria!" Don Alejandro interrupted as he came downstairs.

"Good morning, Don Alejandro!" She greeted. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No, my dear thank you!" He replied. "I believe we should leave. I had a strange nightmare, and I'd rather go home and check on Felipe."

"Who's the new mother now?" Diego asked in a low tone, only Victoria close enough to hear him.

"What was that, Diego?" Don Alejandro inquired.

"Ah…Nothing, Father. In fact, I would also like to check on my son. I was just waiting for you to wake up." Diego said and took one last sip of coffee before standing up. "Thank you for the hospitality, Victoria! We will see you at lunch?"

"Of course, Diego! I'd never miss Christmas lunch at the hacienda!" She replied with a warm smile.

"Excellent! I'll go saddle the horses and meet you in the plaza, Father." He offered.

"I'll be there, Son!" Don Alejandro replied. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything!" He addressed Victoria after Diego disappeared through the kitchen.

She smiled as she shook her head, then took the empty coffee cups to the kitchen.

"I will send the carriage for you at 11:30, my dear. Would that be fine?" Don Alejandro wondered.

"Si, Don Alejandro. Gracias. I will be ready." She confirmed as the old don, hearing the horses' neighs in the plaza took his goodbyes and headed outside just as Mendoza and his men were leaving the cuartel.

ZZZ

Hearing the sound of the hoofs made by the horses exiting the courtyard, De Soto jumped out of bed and headed for the door, not even realizing that he was still in his night shirt and Long Johns.

"Sergeant Mendoza!" He shouted, just as the men were leaving.

"What happened, Alcalde?" The Sergeant replied as if he'd just awoken from a dream.

"I...I just got news that the bandits are no longer there, Sergeant. You may return to the cuartel for your breakfast! And come to my office in an hour!" He answered.

"Si, Alcalde!" Mendoza replied with enthusiasm and signaled for the men to return.

De Soto watched him and his men return to the courtyard, then glanced towards the tavern, just in time to see Diego and his father leaving on their horses. After watching them until they disappeared, he hurried to change and shave, making himself presentable for the day.

ZZZ

Diego's and Don Alejandro's ride to the hacienda was rather short and, less than 15 minutes later, they were banging on the closed door, worried that nobody was answering.

Felipe woke up, but remembering he was still supposedly unable to hear, he pretended to go back to sleep until Maria was finally awaken by the noise. She shook him at hearing her patron and he pretended to only wake up then. He checked on the still sleeping bandits as the De la Vega cook was answering the door, then involuntarily coughed loudly just as his adoptive father and grandfather hurried through the door, looking in wonderment at the tied-up sleepy men.

"What happened here?" Don Alejandro asked.

"These men tried to rob us, patron!" Maria replied. "But Felipe captured them! He was so brave, Don Alejandro! You should be very proud of him!"

"He captured them?" The old don made sure he had heard correctly. "Good Lord!"

"Are you alright, Felipe?" Diego asked him. "Have you been injured? You haven't slept here all night, have you?" He continued asking, looking around and noticing clear signs that his son had, indeed spent the night in the rather cold library. "You have a cold! What were you thinking? How are you feeling? You should go to bed and I'll bring you some tea and some breakfast!" He instructed before the young man even had the chance to signal a reply.

"It's just a cold, Diego! Felipe captured three bandits! I think that information is a little more significant right now. How did you do it, son?"

Felipe started signaling to indicate what had happened, and Maria helped by recounting what she knew.

"But how did you know they were attacking the hacienda when you can't hear?" Don Alejandro asked.

Felipe had already thought about it. He signaled that he had been at the window when the men put on their masks and was certain they were attacking the hacienda, which is why he hid and prepared the traps.

"That was incredible, Felipe!" Don Alejandro stated in amazement. "If Zorro ever retires you can take his place! He'd certainly be extremely proud of you, young man!"

"I'm sure of that, Father!" Diego confirmed with a knowing look at his adopted son, one only Felipe understood as he smiled at his father. "Now…" Diego continued addressing Felipe, this time his tone commanding "you need to go to bed and have a good rest! I'll come by with the tea and that breakfast, and I will wake you up in time for lunch. Father and I will see to the thugs."

"Right, Son!" Don Alejandro agreed and Felipe shrugged and headed towards his room.

"You should go get some rest as well, Maria!" Diego encouraged the woman.

"Sleep? With all the work I have to do? I'll sleep later, Don Diego." She answered and headed for the kitchen.

"What do you want to do with them?" Don Alejandro asked his son.

"I'll make sure they remain sedated and tied up neatly. You should go find Juan and Pablo and tell them to get a wagon."

Don Alejandro nodded and, about twenty minutes later, the wagon carrying the bandits was making its way into the pueblo.

ZZZ

De Soto just ordered his men to take the thugs to jail, then waited for Mendoza to come to his office after breakfast.

"Alcalde? May I come in?" Mendoza asked.

"Yes, yes, of course, you may, Sergeant!"

His subordinate entered and was invited to take a seat.

"Tell me, Mendoza, you are a good friend of the De la Vegas, aren't you?" De Soto asked.

"I do consider them my friends, Alcalde!"

"Good! Good! Then I have good news for you! Have the horses saddled at noon! We are going to spend this Christmas with the De la Vegas!"

ZZZ

While the Alcalde was suspiciously making Mendoza's day with his news, Victoria was deeply immersed into organizing her cellar, an activity she could only afford to do on holidays, when she could close down her establishment for one or two days. I don't remember that! She told herself as she climbed a shelf to reach a bottle nestled on top of it. A second later she felt the shelf was about to crumble under her, so she rapidly jumped down and landed on her feet, miraculously catching the bottle which fell with her and almost smashed on her head. "That was close!" She uttered with a sly grin.

The banging on the door came as a surprise to Victoria, since it was barely eight o'clock, and she wasn't expecting anyone. Putting down the bottle, she gracefully climbed up the stairs to the taproom and opened one of the door, her eyes suddenly resting on a small girl, who looked no older than eight. She was dressed in wet ragged clothes, and her face was filthy with mud.

"Yes, honey?" Victoria replied, looking kindly at her.

"Please, Senorita, do you have something to eat?" The girl asked, trembling.

"To eat? Yes, of course I do!" Victoria replied with wide eyes as she opened the door all the way through. "Come in! You look frozen! Were you out all night?"

"I stayed in the municipal stables." She answered hesitantly.

"The stables? And why did you do that?" Victoria wondered as she made a fire in the taproom, then hurried towards the kitchen dragging the little girl with her. "You sit here!" She ordered, seating her at the worktable, her back to the already-burning fire in the stove. "Do your parents know where you are? Do you know where they are?"

"I don't have any parents, Senorita!" The girl answered.

"You are an orphan?"

"In a way…" The girl gave a puzzling answer.

"In a way? You either are or aren't!" The taverness explained as she put a plate filled with enchiladas before the girl and hurried to make her a tea to help her warm up. "Tequila would work better" she mumbled mostly to herself "but I can't give that to a child!"

"I'm not an orphan as you are one." The girl replied. "I did not lose my parents, I just never had any."

"Of course, you did! You probably don't remember them, but everyone has parents." Victoria disagreed as she was selecting the plants for the infusion.

"Mostly everyone…" The girl insisted.

The taverness just smiled at the stubborn child, and a few silent minutes later she poured her a cup of tea. "It's hot, so be careful!" She asked.

The girl touched the cup, and it immediately cooled down, so she drank it in one go.

"It was very good, thank you! And thank you for the food." The little girl uttered, looking intently at her. It was only at that point that Victoria noticed that the food had completely disappeared from the plate in less than five minutes.

"You must have been very hungry!" She noted hesitantly.

"I was! I haven't eaten in several decades!" She relied.

"Decades? But you are barely seven or eight!" Victoria noted.

"I'm actually much older." The girl confessed, then stood up and, turning around three times, she transformed into a beautiful lady, a head taller than Victoria, her hair brown and her eyes blue. Her ragged clothes became a white body-fitting lace-and-silk dress and all the mud on her face disappeared as her porcelain-clean skin emanated only light.

Victoria almost fainted.

"My name is Ariana." She introduced herself. "I am… well.. you wouldn't know what I am… All you need to know is that, because you've shown yourself to be kind to me, I am here to grant you one wish. I cannot give back life, though, so do not ask for me to resurrect anyone, and my powers only last until midnight, after which it will all be undone. So, tell me, Victoria, what is it you wish?"

"I… I… I…" The taverness was too stunned to utter a coherent sentence and had absolutely no idea what to ask for, nor was she certain that what she was seeing was real or simply the result of having bumped her head or something like that. In fact, she was seriously considering the possibility that she was, in fact, at that very moment, lying in the cellar, unconscious, in pool of red wine, a shelf on top of her.

"Yes… you…"

"I don't understand!" She finally uttered as if the words had been jailed inside her and were only looking forward to get out.

"I just explained it to you. Take it as a Christmas present! I will fulfill for you one wish. Any wish. Do you want to be a princes, or, better yet, a queen? I can make that happen. Do you want to see how it is to be extremely rich, have hundreds of servants and any material possession you can think of, I can do that, as well! You want to have magical powers? Done! The only catch is that it will only last until midnight."

"I see… Why?"

"Why it can only last until midnight? Those are the rules!"

"No… I mean, why me?"

"Because you are a good person, Victoria. Because not many people would do what you have. Most of them simply ignore me when I ask for a meal and shut their doors in my face. In all the time I have walked this earth, barely a few hundreds had ever fed me."

"How would anyone refuse a little girl?"

"I am not always a little girl, Victoria. Ragged and mudded, yes. But I take the form the person I seek most wishes to have in his or her life. You want to be a mother, which is why, to you I came as a small child. Others want to be brothers, sister, or wives, or husbands…or someone's child again… I take the form they need but they still ignore me…"

"I could never ignore a hungry person!" Victoria told her. "Even if not a child."

"No… I guess you wouldn't…"

"But I do so wish to have a family…" the taverness sighed. "and the man I wish to marry won't even tell me his real name!"

"I can tell it to you if you so desire, but you will only know it till midnight. All you'll have left afterwards will be the feelings that fulfilled wish left you with."

"You know his name?" Victoria asked, having stopped listening after the woman offered her Zorro's real name.

"Any wish, remember? But be wise in asking for your wish!"

"Hmmm" Victoria thought, wondering if it would be wise to ask for Zorro's name. What if she didn't know the man? What if she'd be unable to associate the name with the unmasked face? That would have been a waste of a wish. "The truth is that all I really want is to spend Christmas with him. Can you make that happen?" She finally decided.

"That's a rather simple wish to fulfill, to be fair. Are you sure about it? Do you understand the rules?"

"Sure! And yes, I understand!" Victoria answered.

"Done, then. All you have to do now is go about your day as you were already planning to and say yes to any suggested activity."

"That's all?"

"As I said… It's a rather simple wish to fulfill… Frankly, you wouldn't have even needed my intervention, since the man who is Zorro was already planning to spend the day with you. But… since you've decided that way… If nothing else, at least you will have all your questions answered today, one way or another. Thank you for the delicious meal, Victoria!" The strange magic woman uttered before she disappeared.

The taverness sighed and grinned at the idea of spending the day with her beloved, not even considering what that undone part was all about. Minutes later she was singing as she was warming up water for her bath in all the fireplaces of the tavern, just before joyously hurrying up the stairs to choose her dress.


	6. Chapter 6

The delicious odors of Maria's food engulfed the hacienda. When, to everyone's surprise, the Alcalde and Sergeant Mendoza arrived, Don Alejandro, Diego, Felipe, Victoria, Padre Benitez, Don Rodrigo and Dona Catalina (Don Alejandro's cousin and his wife from Santa Barbara, who had arrived that very morning to spend the holidays in Los Angeles) were just about to sit down and enjoy their lunch.

"Sergeant! Alcalde!" Diego greeted at seeing them. "I thought you would not be able to make it!"

"Change of plans, Don Diego!" De Soto replied. "Turns out we were not as busy at the cuartel as I had previously thought… especially since the bandits I wanted Mendoza to look for were just delivered to the jail this morning." He decided to say in order to justify his previous actions. "And I am also given to understand Zorro prefers to spend this Christmas indoors, rather than disturbing the peace."

"Really? And how do you know that, Ignacio?" Diego asked wondering as to the meaning of the Alcalde's words.

"Let's just say I have my sources!" He answered, missing the fleeting frown on Diego's face. "Plus, he already made an appearance in town last night. Aren't you going to invite us in?"

"Yes, of course! Please come in! You arrived just in time. We were about to sit down for lunch!" Diego informed them, opening the door wide for the two men to enter.

"Alcalde De Soto! Sergeant!" Don Alejandro exclaimed at seeing the men. "We were not expecting to see you here, but you are most welcomed, Senores! Please, come in! Eliodor! Maria! Please set the table for two more guests!"

"Si patron!" Eliodor replied and rushed to bring two more chairs while the De la Vega cook took care of the extra plates, glasses and silverware.

The conversations over lunch focused mainly on the situation in Spain and in the colonies, many of which were declaring their independence. The topic then shifted to some plans the padre had for the Mission and the school. Finally, it shifted again to Zorro and his latest antics, among which capturing the criminals plundering the farmers East of the pueblo and uncovering a plot to poison the main water supply.

"Tell me, Diego," the Alcalde asked as they were finishing their deserts, "what is your opinion of our masked friend? I don't think I have ever heard you express it!"

"I wasn't aware you considered him a friend, Alcalde!" Diego replied instead.

"It is just a figure of speech! Of course that bandit is not my friend!" The Alcalde clarified.

"He is not a bandit, either!" Victoria interjected.

"Senorita, I understand you are, for some reason, in love with him and that he promised to reveal his identity to you when he would no longer put you in danger – although, I wouldn't count on that day ever coming - but the man has a price on his head for a reason!" De Soto replied.

How does he know that? Was he listening in to our conversation last night? I must be more careful in visiting her! Diego wondered and counseled himself.

"Of course, there is a reason for that, Alcalde!" Victoria replied, annoyed. "Even more than one: standing up for the people, saving those in need and not putting up with tyranny! Those are the reasons!"

"Perhaps...Perhaps we can discuss these matters at another time?" Diego felt the need to intervene sensing the Alcalde might soon decide to arrest Victoria. "It is Christmas, and Zorro is a rather controversial character. I am sure we each have a different opinion of him and his actions. How about we change the subject towards something more pleasant?"

"That is an excellent idea, Son! You know, Rodrigo was just telling me that the parents of his daughter's friend, Maria-Antonia de Murieta - is it?- have just bought a hacienda near Los Angeles."

"That is indeed so, Alejandro! Maria Antonia is a beautiful young senorita, Diego!" His uncle, Don Rodrigo was happy to inform him. "It will be my pleasure to introduce the two of you! You might...help her adapt to the pueblo, nephew! Make her feel at home!"

"And before you protest, Diego, as I see you are about to do, I just want to mention there is no pressure, Son! But God knows I have not given up hope of getting those grandchildren, however thin my patience may be right now!" Don Alejandro added, making everyone at the table chuckle at seeing Diego's embarrassed look.

"Yes, indeed!" The Alcalde tried to join in the conversation. "Tell me, Diego, during our time in Madrid I heard a rumor about you being in love with someone from California. What happened with the senorita in question? How come you did not marry her yet?"

She is sitting right in front of you, Ignacio, and has no idea that she is engaged to me because your actions force me to live a double life. How in the world do you know about her, anyway? I only told Emmanuel, and I would bet my life he told no one, least of all you!" Diego thought yet said nothing out loud, trying to think of some answer that made sense and was not a complete lie.

"Really, Alcalde?" Don Alejandro asked surprised. "Diego never told me about such a creature! Where is she, Son?"

Sitting right next to you, Father. Diego would have wanted to confess. "Father, you hardly imagine a woman would wait four years for a man to return from the other side of the world, do you? Moreover, I doubt she would even recognize me if she'd be looking directly at me right now!" Diego replied, trying his best to remain calm.

"But who was she?" Victoria pressured, gazing right at him.

You! Just you! And, in spite of a moment of weakness, always you! His heart silently answered for him. "What does it matter? Furthermore, I do believe I had suggested for us to find a pleasant topic of conversation!" Diego begged.

"How about your fencing classes, in that case?" De Soto asked, and the blood drained from Diego's face at hearing his words. "Why don't you tell us all about them?"

"Diego's fencing lessons?" Don Alejandro inquired as Diego was becoming certain his old schoolmate had somehow come upon the idea that he is Zorro and was just testing him.

"You took fencing lessons, Don Diego?" Mendoza also asked him.

"Yes, Sergeant!" Don Alejandro answered in his stead. "For all the good they did! When Diego left for Spain, I arranged for him to study with..."

"I barely had a skill for it, Sergeant!" Diego cut in, fully aware that Sir Kendall uttered, out loud, in front of the tavern, that he had been his best student and only the fact that Mendoza had no idea what he was teaching prevented both his lancer friend and Luis Ramon from realizing he and Zorro were one and the same.

"You are modest, Son!" Don Alejandro intervened. "I know how poor your skills were when you returned from Spain, but I saw you..."

"Father, do you truly want to dive into those memories?" Diego asked, hoping Don Alejandro would remember having promised to never again open the subject of his duel with Gilberto. "This is really not a cheerful topic! How about some Christmas carols instead? I could play the piano, and Victoria has a beautiful voice for singing!"

"That is a very good idea, Diego! As long as everyone sings with me!" Victoria agreed.

"Yes, well.. before... that… might I have a word in private, Don Diego?" De Soto requested.

"Of course, Alcalde!" Diego agreed, intent on finding out exactly what the man knew, and how much did he suspect. "Why don't we go to the library?"

"After you!" The Alcalde invited him.

"Well," Diego asked once they got there, making sure he was close to his father's ceremonial sword, "what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I was wrong about you, Senor!" Ignacio proclaimed.

Wrong about me? Does he truly know I am Zorro? Diego wondered

"I have to admit you have more backbone than I thought you did, Don Diego!" De Soto continued.

He knows! The caballero was certain, his entire body tensing, readying itself to fight.

"I did remember that Christmas party you mentioned yesterday, and I may not like to admit it, but I believe I owe you an apology."

"An apology, Alcalde?" Diego asked, completely confused.

"Yes...You see, when I saw Rafaela talking to you that night, I thought you had been trying to court her. I admit I didn't like you much after that because of my mistaken impression of those events. I know now - don't ask me how - that you behaved like a true gentleman and...colleague… and turned down her advances! I mean, really, Diego, sore muscles from your fencing classes? My sister could have come up with a better excuse than that!

"And I know you see me as...a friend, probably even more so since I saved your life. I might not share that feeling, but I do understand why you harbor it! That is, however, no reason to sacrifice yourself to save me, do you understand?"

Less and less, but go on... Diego thought.

"I am perfectly able to take care of myself, Senor." De Soto continued, "so make sure you concentrate on...whatever you do, and leave me to fend for myself! You really mustn't sacrifice your life to save mine, are we understood? If you find out I decided to spring a trap for Zorro, just stay out of it! It is none of your business, and I don't need your interference!"

"Huh?" Was all Diego could utter, completely unable to follow De Soto's train of thoughts.

"Oh… and Don Diego, I do believe you should pick up a hobby, you know? Better your medical knowledge, for example! You are spending an awful amount of your time in the tavern when you should be more productive! A pillar of this community! Someone on who people can rely on!"

"I will consider your advice, Alcalde!" Was all Diego could tell him.

"Well, this being said," De Soto concluded, just as the rest of the guests were coming to sit in the room where the piano was, right next to the library "since I am not exactly fond of caroling, I believe it is time to take my leave. Sergeant, you are off duty today! Thank you for the invitation, Don Alejandro! Have a good afternoon Senores, Senoras!" He greeted and exited the hacienda, heading back to the pueblo.

"What in the world was that all about, Diego?" Don Alejandro asked, having overheard the last part of the conversation.

"I don't know, Father! The man sometimes makes absolutely no sense to me!" Diego answered, doing his best to absorb the Alcalde's monologue and mentally pick out the elements that made some sense, in order to try to understand the rest.

Of course, Diego had no idea, at that point, about the fact that, after his nightly incursion into the past, present and future, during which he'd been given clear clues as to the real identity of his nemesis, De Soto had instead concluded that he would, soon enough, be in dire need of the De la Vega's medical knowledge. Making sure that the tall caballero would be alive and well to provide them he believed to be assuring his own survival. That was how the idea that he was Zorro never even crossed the Alcalde's mind.

On the other hand, Ignacio was hardly prepared to bury the hatchet anywhere but on his nemesis' head, so his ignorance came in useful at that point.

ZZZ

After a few carols, an extended piano recital by Diego and about an hour spent discussing regional politics, Mendoza took his leave, grateful for the invitation and informing Don Alejandro that he and some of the other lancers had decided to go to the orphanage and take some gifts to the children there.

"That is very generous of you, Sergeant!" Victoria stated at hearing him.

"It truly is." Diego confirmed. "I think I remember a time when we, too, were doing that. Father would put on this fake beard and a red coat and children believed him to be Santa. Do you remember?"

Don Alejandro smiled sadly at him. "Of course I do, Diego. I believe we have done that for about a decade, until your mother got ill."

"That's true! I remember we were all looking forward for you to come, Don Alejandro." Mendoza confirmed.

"You were? You were one of the children, Sergeant?" Don Alejandro wondered as if the idea only then crossed his mind.

"Si, Don Alejandro! I was in the orphanage here till I was 14 and then it got too crowded and the older children were transferred to another orphanage in San Diego. But I remember your visit on Christmas Eve used to be a tradition for us. In fact, Don Diego was the one who gave me the second Christmas present I had ever received!"

"I was?" Diego inquired, unable to remember at what his friend was referring, barely having vague memories of the orphan children and never having realized he had befriended Mendoza long before he had returned from Spain.

"Si, Don Diego! I think you were about six at the time. I was playing by myself in a corner, and you saw me there and brought me cookies, pudding and a big present which turned out to contain new boots. And you called me a Sergeant because my toy soldier was representing a sergeant!"

"I did that?"

"You said you wanted to be my friend! I think you were my very first friend, to be honest. But after that, all the other children wanted to befriend me, so I no longer had to play all by myself."

"Well… In that case, I am honored to be your very first friend, Sergeant!" Diego told him, still unable to recall what Mendoza was talking about.

"Me too, Don Diego!" The lancer concluded, and taking his goodbyes, exited with the intention to head towards the cuartel.

Felipe took the opportunity to also apologize and go to his room to have some rest and, as the sun came out in the afternoon, Diego decided to invite Victoria for a ride around the hacienda, leaving his father, uncle and aunt all by themselves to talk.

"So? Did you have a good Christmas?" Diego asked the taverness as soon as they were alone, walking towards the stables.

"Yes, Diego. It was quite enjoyable." She answered. "Although, I confess I didn't expect to have lunch with Ignacio de Soto. I wonder what made him change his mind."

"Who knows? I confess I understood rather little of my conversation with the man."

"Did you really do what Mendoza said? When you were a child?"

"I frankly don't remember." Diego answered honestly. "But it would, however, explain the friendliness Mendoza has shown me since I came back from Spain. I admit to have often wondered about his attitude…"

"That's true! I remember that, when you first arrived back you almost got into a duel with that Corporal, had Mendoza not stepped in! You were very brave to defend me like that, Diego!"

"Stupid rather than brave." He mocked himself.

"No… You were brave. The next thing you did was to almost challenge the Alcalde."

"Fortunately I was smart enough not to go through with that." Diego replied in an effort to reinforce her existing opinion of him.

"Yes!" She chuckled. "Zorro did a better job at that than you would have been able to!"

The next fifteen minutes they spent mostly in silence as they cantered towards a nearby lake. That ride, however, was most disconcerting to Victoria, who couldn't stop thinking about the magic woman's promise that she would spend her Christmas with Zorro. She had accepted Diego's suggestion to go for a ride with the only hope in mind that they might stumble upon the masked outlaw she loved on their way, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that she must have bumped her head or something because there was no way what she believed happened in the tavern actually did happen. After all, Victoria told herself, there's no such thing as magic!

Yet, she also had to admit to herself that she really didn't mind being in Diego's company. She found that she liked the bouncing of his black hair and his graceful riding style as he appeared to have somehow merged with his horse, so well was he able to anticipate every move Esperanza made. The caballero glanced at her as they were nearing the lake and that's when she saw it in his eyes. She was certain now. Diego de la Vega was in love with her. Was she the woman De Soto had mentioned? The woman in California Diego had been in love with while in Spain? But if he had been in love with her – which Don Alejandro, too, seemed to have suspected – why was he about to marry Zafira?

The answer was obvious, and it took her but a few moments to realize it.

While Diego was away she had been asked for her hand in marriage. The man was the son of one of Don Alejandro's friends, and the old don insisted that the marriage take place, explaining to her that she needed a husband to keep her safe. He was handsome and had his own properties, so, in everyone's opinion, he was a good match for her. At the time, though, nobody knew his real character, or she knew Don Alejandro wouldn't have even considered arranging a match with him.

Victoria was lucky, though. The night before the engagement was announced she had a dream. One she still remembered as one would a visit to the future. In that dream she had seen herself caught in a loveless marriage with an abusive man, her heart longing for another. She hadn't seen the face of the man she was in love with in that dream but he was tall and black-haired, so she had thought for about a year afterwards that it was Diego. At that point he was the only man she knew fitting the description. At least, until Zorro appeared, and it was clear to her who the man was.

The morning of her engagement, still shaken by that nightmare, she informed both her intended husband and Don Alejandro that she was not going through with it and wanted no one to arrange her marriage.

"Diego," she asked just to be sure. The caballero startled as suddenly awaken from a dream and glanced at her "did Don Alejandro write you that I almost married while you were in Spain?"

"Yes, he did, Victoria." He replied, turning his head away from her. "But a few weeks later I received another letter asking me to return and mentioning something about you changing your mind about that marriage."

"Wasn't that about the same time you almost married Zafira?"

Diego slightly bowed his head and watched her from the corner of his eye. "Yes… I do believe it was around that same time." He answered, and they continued their canter in silence.

She was right. He almost married that woman because he believed she had forsaken him. After all, she had promised to wait for him, had she not? That evening before he left, and on several other occasions before that? Of course, they were innocent promises made by a child to a young man she used to worship at that age. Diego had always been there for her, always her friend, her shoulder to cry on, her protector. How could she avoid falling for him? Or, at least, believing herself in love with him. She slightly laughed at the thought of the caballero protecting her… or anybody. Then frowned at remembering Don Alejandro boasting about his son who saved his life only two months earlier.

It always seemed strange to her that Zorro had not showed up at the hacienda that day Gilberto almost ended the lives of both his father and his twin brother. Normally, Zorro was the one to offer others his protection, not Diego. For about eight years, Zorro had been the one doing the fighting for everyone in the pueblo.

Eight years already? Time flies, doesn't it? She wondered remembering the first time she had seen her masked man, that evening when he let her and Don Alejandro out of prison. Diego was the first man they told about Zorro, and she disliked the way he had mocked their account of the masked man.

At that point she tried to remember Diego's face at seeing Zorro for the first time, but couldn't. She could remember the faces of the other people in the pueblo when he had come flying to save Don Alejandro and his tenants from the gallows but the tall caballero was not among those present in the plaza. Despite the fact that it was his father the one being hanged, he hadn't protested his arrest, nor had he gone to say goodbye to him. Diego was never there, she realized, now that her thoughts had drifted that way. He wasn't there when she was about to be hanged for a crime she didn't commit, when his father was about to be hanged as Zorro, when Mendoza was about to pay for his plan going wrong… He was never there!

Luckily Zorro had always been there for them. For Diego's friends and family, for his tenants and for everyone else in Los Angeles.

She found the contrast rather surprising. True, Diego famously despised any type of violence but he seemed to also instinctively sense it and always manage to disappear right on time. As if possessing the exact oppose instinct, Zorro always came charging in at any sign of danger.

Come to think about it… I've never seen Diego and Zorro in the same place. He always seems to miss him and Mendoza always has to recount his version of events for Diego. She considered as they finally stopped before the lake.


	7. Chapter 7

The lake to which Diego had taken Victoria was not very large but it was quite secluded, surrounded by trees and wild flowers, and the taverness realized she had never before been there. A small waterfall fed it from the north and a stream was guiding the water surplus south, towards the nearby fields and, from there, to the Porciuncula River.

"It's one of my favorite places." Diego told her as he was helping her climb down from her mount.

"It's very beautiful!" She replied, enchanted by the view and scanning the horizon for a black-clad man with whom she had been promised to spend Christmas that year. It was already four in the afternoon and he was nowhere to be seen. "Diego…" she decided to ask as her thoughts returned to the man in front of her "have you ever seen Zorro?"

The caballero was surprised by the question but managed to answer truthfully "Of course I have." In the mirror, each time I put on the mask. His mind added silently.

"When?" She continued.

"Ah…" He hesitated trying to think of a moment to indicate. "Recently, you mean?"

"Not necessarily. Just tell me when you saw him." She insisted.

"The time that detective came to Los Angeles. When Ignacio arrested me together with other dons so that we could be interrogated." Diego replied, knowing that Victoria had seen him on the terrace while Felipe, dressed as Zorro, was making his escape from the pueblo.*

"Yes. You are right… but…"

"But what?" He asked in return.

Victoria stared at him for a few moments. "Why did you want to bring me here?" She asked and Diego was relieved she had dropped the subject of Zorro. Then he unknowingly made his biggest mistake.

"Well… I confess that, when Uncle Rodrigo started talking about his grandchildren, I felt the need to escape. And, I thought I might take the chance and show you one of my favorite spots. I hope you don't mind spending the day with me. Have you already been here before?"

"Spend the day with you?" Was what she focused on, ignoring his questions. She looked around once more with a puzzled expression, as if her mind was trying to come to terms with a new and incredible idea. From where they were standing, she could see for several miles around and nowhere in sight was there any trace of a black-clad, masked man. But that woman… she didn't say Zorro would spend the day with her but that the man who was Zorro already planned to do that. "Diego" she gathered her courage to ask, hoping she was not being silly "if I ask you a question, can you promise you will tell me the truth? I just need a 'yes' or a 'no'."

The caballero braced himself, thinking she might have realized he was in love with her. He couldn't constantly hide his love, he knew that much. The discussion during lunch and her figuring out that there was a connection between the timing of her almost-marriage and his to Zafira, must have been clues enough. "I will." He promised, hoping he was wrong. He was.

"That woman you're in love with but loves another man… does she really love another man or are you also the other one?" Victoria asked, and his expression answered for him before he had the chance to turn away and measure his words. "Dios! You are Zorro!" She concluded based only on the flabbergasted look he gave her.

Diego tried to chuckle at the idea, but the laughter came out false, then his face became quite serious.

"Why would you believe such a thing?" He tried to have her reconsider as he turned his back at her. "I am nothing like Zorro."

"Yes, you are! You are tall, black-haired, blue-eyed and in love with me, just like Zorro. Don't even try to deny it! And you promised to answer me." She struggled with her discovery, which almost brought her to the brink of tears, her voice already shaking. Was it possible that the man she longed for had been right in front of her all this time? The one she was to spend the day with, anyway, as she did every Christmas, which was why that wish was easy to fulfil? Had she been blind all those years to not see him for who he truly was?

Diego turned back and gazed into her eyes. "Do you understand the consequences of me answering your question?" He asked despite being quite certain that it was pointless. Victoria already knew.

"Yes" She replied.

He looked at the ground for a few seconds, then returned to look at her, cupped her face with his right hand, and leaned down to kiss her. It was all the answer she needed as words were unnecessary at that point.

"Why have you never told me?" She inquired in a whispered voice, looking at him with wide-opened, confused eyes as they parted.

"I wanted to protect you. I live a dangerous life, Victoria. If I'm ever captured, should you not show surprise at my unmasking, you will be in danger, as well. I don't want that for you."

"You will not be captured!" She protested.

"That's always a possibility. As getting injured is also a possibility… How would you have reacted if you'd seen me getting harmed, knowing who I was? Would you have waited for me to send you news or would you have stormed towards the hacienda as soon as Tornado rode out of the pueblo? Or at seeing someone taking aim at me? Would you have shouted Zorro or Diego? I kept my secret because it was the safest thing to do… for the both of us and for my father. Not to mention that, while you may be in love with Zorro, you don't really feel the same way about Diego."

"But I agreed to marry you! I did that without even knowing it was you under the mask. I told you that I love the man! The only man brave enough to stand up for the people! For me! For… For everyone!" Victoria argued her point, feeling her temper rising but striving to control it. "You… you tricked me into saying those things I said… I thought you were a different man than you truly are! And you never allowed me to think any differently! You never told me the truth!"

"I didn't trick you…" Diego protested raising his voice but instantly regretting it. "I played a role, Victoria. For you, for my father and for the whole pueblo. I needed… I need to play it so that I can stay alive. It's the only way. As you said, I look like Zorro and there are not many men who also fit his physical description. The deception was meant to make any association between us unconceivable and I was lucky it worked. I was lucky Luis Ramone was more willing to believe me a weakling, than he was to realize I was his nemesis. I was lucky De Soto has not seen the truth… at least, thus far. I was not a good swordsman when we first met, but I was already taking classes with Sir Edmund. If he had come across that information… if he still comes across the information that I was his student, he might just put two and two together and come to the obvious conclusion. And I doubt he'll be so unwilling to believe it, as my father was when I tried to tell him."

"Your father? He doesn't know… Nobody knows?"

"Only Felipe. He's always helped me, taken care of me… He risked his own life several times to save mine."

"Felipe? But he was only a boy when Zorro rode for the first time. He was…"

"Twelve." Diego confirmed. "I didn't exactly know then that this fight would last for so long, Victoria… or I would have never gotten him involved. It's why I postponed adopting him for all those years. God knows I had considered doing that since I returned from Spain!"

"So… what now?" Victoria wondered.

"Now?"

"Now that I know… can we finally be together? Get married? Start a family?"

"You still want that?"

"Of course, I want that! I didn't waste eight years of my life to change my mind at finding out the man I love is also my best friend! What am I talking about? Eight? I waited eight years for Zorro and four more for Diego before that!" She told him.

"You did?"

"Why do you think I wasn't married when you came back? I promised I would wait, didn't I?"

"Yes, but… You waited… for me? To return home from Spain?"

"Well… I had a bit of a crush on you at the time you left… You must have known that!" She uttered, rolling her eyes.

"I suspected it, but wasn't sure. I had more than a little crush on you, as well, at the time. Had you been at least two years older, I wouldn't have left without marrying you first and taking you with me."

"Really?"

"Victoria, I don't even remember a time when I didn't love you. True… it was a different kind of love in the beginning, not the all-consuming, passionate kind I feel now... but it was still love."

"That's how you're feeling? Passionate?"

"You have no idea about the amount of self-control I need to stop myself from taking you into my arms and kiss you every time I see you… But I know that if I'd do that, I'd land us both on the gallows."

"Only if others see you! Us…" Victoria remarked, teasingly. "There's no one to see us here, though? Is there?"

"No…" Diego conceded, realizing with more than little amazement what she was actually saying. "But I don't think it would be wise. In the cave, however… I could kiss you all I wanted…"

"Lead the way, then!" Victoria ordered.

"Are you sure?"

"Aren't you?"

"No… I'm pretty sure I want nothing more than to spend the rest of the day holding you in my arms."

"Good then!"

"Good!" He answered and guided her back to her horse, which he then guided to the cave's back entrance.

"We have to leave the horses outside." Diego told Victoria as he stopped the mounts a few yards from the hidden entrance to Zorro's lair.

A few minutes later, he was pressing the wooden board activating the opening mechanism from the outside and guided her to the main room, where Tornado was munching on some hay.

"This is just behind the hacienda?" She asked.

"Yes. And through there" he indicated, pointing towards the stairs "you get to the library. There's a hidden entrance through the fireplace."

Victoria took the time to wander around the cave, stopped in front of the spy hole for a few moments, smiling at seeing Don Alejandro reading in an armchair, then returned to Diego, who had taken a seat at the desk.

"So…" she teased, sitting sideways in his lap "you said something about spending the afternoon holding? Add kissing me, and I might be agreeable to that!"

"Really?" He teased back as she lowered her head and reached to kiss him.

"Alejandro!" They heard Diego's uncle call about half an hour later, just as what started as kissing was about to become much more. "Where are Diego and Senorita Escalante?"

"Still on their ride, I suppose. Why do you ask?" Don Alejandro wondered.

"See for yourself!" He replied but the people in the cave had no idea what he was talking about.

"Dios!" Don Alejandro answered. "We need to go after them!"

Diego stopped kissing Victoria at that moment, and the sound of a thunder reverberating through the cave's walls told him exactly what his father was referring to.

"There's another storm coming!" He told her. "We need to return with the horses to the hacienda."

"Now?" She asked, disappointment clear in her voice.

"I'm afraid so, Victoria!" He replied. "I… Perhaps it's for the best." He continued. "I don't think I would have stopped otherwise and it is not yet the right time for us to get married. I want you to be my wife, not my lover, mi amor!"

Victoria smiled sadly and agreed "That's what I also want, Diego! More than anything!"

The tall caballero sighed, looking at her beautiful face. "I promise to find a way. But now we need to go!" He urged her, and she reluctantly got off of him and followed Diego back to the horses. They arrived at the main entrance of the hacienda just as it started raining, and Don Alejandro and Don Rodrigo were preparing to go look for them.

Asking Victoria to go straight into the house, by the time her fiancé finished stabling the horses he was soaked, and had to go get changed lest he'd catch a cold. In the meantime, Don Alejandro made the fire in the library and invited the taverness to join him and his other guests, playing a game of cards in the dining room. It was not what she thought she would be doing at that time, but she had to reluctantly agree and be contented with spending the rest of the afternoon teasing Diego about the senorita his father and uncle thought to pair him with. In reply, he teased her about Zorro and took every opportunity to be naughty and caress her leg when nobody was paying any attention. He was lucky to get away with it, but nobody seemed to notice anything unusual about their behavior.

Around 10:30 in the evening, about an hour after the rain stopped, but only ten minutes after they had noticed it, Diego offered to accompany Victoria to the tavern, hoping it would rain again as soon as they got there. It was as good an excuse as any other to remain in the pueblo, close to the woman he loved, and no one would think twice about his true reasons for doing it.

Don Alejandro had insisted that she remain at the hacienda, but Victoria pointed out that she needed to get up very early the following morning, since she was to open her business. So, after Don Alejandro reluctantly agreed, and even advised Diego to take his night clothes with him, just in case he'd have to spend the night in town, the two made their way to the pueblo on horseback.

"He really doesn't suspect anything, does he?" Victoria asked, referring to Don Alejandro, as soon as they were far enough away from the hacienda.

"He just took me aside to ask me to stay in the tavern because he didn't like the idea of you spending the night alone. So… no, I doubt he suspects anything." The caballero replied and took her hand in his.

They reached the pueblo in about twenty minutes and parted hands as they entered it, even if it was mostly engulfed in darkness, and, by then, almost everyone was, quite probably, already asleep. Diego gallantly helped her dismount in front of the tavern and stabled the horses. After that, noticing Corporal Sepulveda and Private Sanchez were on guard, he headed for the cuartel and had a little chat with them about the afternoon visit to the orphanage, casually mentioning his annoyance with his father's request to spend the night in Victoria's establishment "as if she couldn't take care of herself!" He endured a dismissive comment by Sepulveda, who pointed out that she might be able to take care of him, as well, then took his goodnight and headed for the tavern, where Victoria had already made the fire in the taproom to warm up the place.

"I'll leave my things in the usual room?" He asked.

She nodded with a sly smile and watched him climb the stairs with new insight. How could she have been so blind as not to notice who was right in front of her? Not to realize how he made her feel, with just one look?

"What do you want to do?" She asked when he returned, her arms folded around her waist, suddenly feeling quite shy around him.

"I'd like to get back to what we were doing before we were interrupted." He told her. "But just the kissing… It wouldn't be wise to do anything more than that."

Victoria smiled and headed towards him, caressed his face, and looked lovingly in his eyes. Diego descended on her lips as if that was the last kiss they were ever to share. The deeper his exploration of her mouth became, the stronger his embrace. They parted only several minutes later for a breath of air, then returned to their kissing. A few more minutes passed, and Diego felt himself pushed into the bar. He reacted by turning around and pushing Victoria into a nearby wall where she felt imprisoned between the cold adobe wall and his warm body, but relished the feeling, capitulating before the man she loved.

When it became clear that they either stop right then or go all the way, rules and traditions be damned, Diego made an effort to cease his attack on her inviting lips and took a few steps back.

"Perhaps we should go to sleep." He suggested, avoiding her eyes, lest they'd betray a very different message.

The taverness took a moment to recover. She thought about how to answer him. Of course, he was right. The gentleman in him told him quite clearly that the path on which they were embarking was a dangerous and immoral one. But, for some reason, now that she knew him, the real him, Victoria no longer cared for conventions. In fact, she knew that she would get little if any sleep that night since thoughts and fantasies of him threatened to occupy her mind. But why settle for fantasies when she could very easily have them come true? Life is short and they had already wasted too much time. She was there, he was there, and the tavern was completely empty. More so, she realized, the rain had restarted, so they could be as noisy as they wanted, since no one would hear anyway.

Except there was one problem. She wasn't dealing with a man like any other. Her man was a caballero in the truest sense of the word. He believed in respecting women and had an amazing control over his own urges. Yes, he was, quite obviously, passionate about her. But he was also in love with her, willing to do anything for her, including using all his self-control to avoid them going down the path they were tempted to take.

Victoria didn't care much for self-control at the moment.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep after… after what we did.. knowing that you are but one room away." She confessed.

"I doubt I'll get any sleep either," he agreed "but I have no intention of ruining your reputation now, Victoria. I want to make love to you, but I don't want something that's supposed to be beautiful to be a sin in anyone's eyes. I want to do this right."

She sighed. The man did have strong opinions. "Have you ever… I mean, have you ever been with a woman, Diego?"

"I have." He confessed, turning his back at her. "I am not proud of that, though."

"Can you… tell me how that felt like? I am not exactly knowledgeable in that area." She asked.

"I'm not sure I should…"

"If we're both going to spend the night awake, what's the point of tossing and turning in a bed? Let's have a glass of wine and talk. And… I guess a bit of education never hurt anyone!" She stated, doing her best to offer him an innocent smile, yet already concocting a much more devious plan for her night. After all, how much tolerance for alcohol could a man who didn't drink have?

Diego, on the other way, considered that some wine might get him to sleep. As long as he didn't repeat the mistake he did in Madrid, drink too much and end up in her bed, instead. But that was not going to happen.

"I have a nice bottle of Claret I've just found this morning, while I was organizing my cellar. I'll be right back!" She told him and, taking a candle to light the way, hurried to descend the stairs leading there.

"I'll get the glasses!" He told her, and headed for the kitchen.

Victoria's candle got her almost all the way down but a draft blew it out just before she reached the bottom. "Don't forget!" She heard a voice out of thin air. "The wish can only last until midnight, and then it will all be undone!" The taverness panicked at hearing it, and, hesitating a little in the dark, she bumped into the shelf, then fell on the floor, next to the table. Having crashed into one of the table's legs as she fell, Victoria caused the bottle of wine she had come to get to roll over and hit her in the head, leaving her unconscious on the floor.

At the same time, Diego, who had heard the commotion and was about to head towards the cellar, turned a bit too fast on his feet, missed the oily stains on the floor in the place where Victoria's morning visitor had eaten her meal, and tumbled, face first into the wall, then on the floor, hitting his head a second time as he fell on his back.

The taverness was the first to wake up and, after a few moments of panic at not realizing where she was, she saw the faint light coming from the taproom and ascended the stairs while massaging her head. Happy that the fire she had made should have enough wood to keep the tavern warm until morning, the taverness then climbed the stairs to her room, where she allowed herself to fall on her bed, and go to sleep.

Diego woke up a little while after the woman he loved was already asleep in her bedroom, took in his surroundings, and checked his clothes, relieved they were blue-and-white instead of black. After taking a few moments to try and failed to remember what had happened, he headed for the room he had occupied the previous night, changed his clothes for the nightclothes he found in his saddlebags, wondering at their presence there, then fell asleep as soon as his hurting head touched the pillow.

The two met for breakfast the following morning, both finding it rather strained to talk due to the residual pain in their heads, both with no memory of the previous day, but both somehow smiling at each other for reasons they no longer remembered.


End file.
